Destined
by Aku Blossom
Summary: A month has passed since the end of the Eternal Winter. Struggling to figure out her role in the greater scheme of things, Anna stumbles into something bigger than she'd ever imagined. And as her sister's destiny unfolds, Elsa discovers her own is just beginning.
1. Chapter 1 - A Book

**Author's Note: This is my first time writing outside of the comfort zone of my safety net fandom, so this is a pretty big step for me. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I will warn you ahead of time, it is very focused on action and adventure. There is some romance, some fluff, but a big focus is on the conflicts that are taking place. It's going to be very over the top. If that sounds fun, strap yourself in and enjoy!**

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**Destined**

**Chapter 1 – A Book**

It began with a book. Simple and strange as it seemed at the time, it was the truth.

"Elsa? Are you, oh! I'm sorry! So sorry!" Princess Anna of Arendelle apologized, quickly ducking out of the room. She'd spent the better part of the last hour trying to track down her sister, only to find her in what seemed like a rather important meeting. She recognized Elsa's council of advisers among those seated around the long table. Whatever it was, it was queenly business that the rambunctious princess had no place being involved in. Still, Anna took a moment to peek back in, cracking the door open just enough to catch sight of her sister.

Seated at the head of the table, Elsa was ever the picture of sophistication, grace, and beauty. Hands folded politely in her lap as she nodded along with her chief financial adviser's yammering; platinum blonde hair shimmering like snowflakes in the gentle noon light pouring in from the window behind her. Anna cocked her head and the way the light hit her, she seemed, well, magical.

The princess gasped, feeling sharp chill shoot down her spine. Cheeks flushing, brow furrowed, she glared playfully at her sister, who cast her the subtlest of grins. For the briefest second, she threw a gaze Anna's way. Anna grinned back, but took the hint and retreated, softly closing the door behind her. It wouldn't do for the queen to be distracted by her juvenile younger sister, even if she was just as bored with the meeting as the younger girl felt only stumbling onto it.

"So here we are..." Anna muttered as she wandered around the palace. It had only been a month since the Eternal Winter struck Arendelle. In that time, while the sisters had grown closer than before, it wasn't long before Elsa's responsibilities, and Anna's distinct lack thereof, caught up with them. Within a week, the time they spent together seemed to dwindle.

"Not that I'm complaining!" Anna spoke out loud, addressing one of the paintings as she passed by it, "It's great to have Elsa actually around! And then I have Kristoff, when...he's not busy." Anna trailed off, collapsing on the sofa beneath a painting of Joan of Arc, as she'd done so many times as a child. She frowned and rolled her eyes, sure that even the paintings had better things to do than entertain her.

Busy, busy, busy. Everyone she knew had something to attend to, some rhyme and reason to their daily lives. But Anna? Princess Anna of Arendelle made killing time her full time duty.

Before she knew exactly what she was doing, Anna was on her feet and wandering again. Ducking in and out of maids and butlers, slipping through the kitchen, she was so transfixed with wandering that she didn't even try to sneak food from the cooks. Her feet seemed to move on their own accord, and her eyes simply followed them. Her mind was wandering, faster than her feet, shuffling left and right and round and round trying to avoid where such thoughts seemed to take her.

She blinked, looking up and around when she realized just where her wandering had led her. It was her parents' room. She and Elsa had chosen to leave it as it was the day they...left. The bed still neatly made up in warm purples and dark blues. The bookshelf seemed to have gathered dust. Her mother's jewelry box still stood open, just as she'd left it. Anna sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing up at the painting on the wall of the family.

Unfortunately, as soon as she stopped moving, she found her mind drifting exactly where she feared it would.

"Elsa's the queen, Kristoff the ice master and deliverer," she laughed bitterly, "But me? I'm...what am I?" Thoughts she was sure she'd banished when she was younger began to surface.

Was she really just a spare, a poor substitute, in case anything happened to Elsa?

_Don't think like that, sweet child._

Anna blinked, jumping to her feet, "Who's there?" she called, peering around the room, slowly making her way toward the door. She gasped when her back pressed against the hard oak surface. She hadn't closed the door, had she?

"What's going on? Who are you?" she called again, keeping her back pressed against the wall as she tried rounding the room. She heard a soft chuckle and felt her cheeks flush.

_Come closer, you don't need to be afraid._

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Anna asked, creeping away from the wall. Her eyes fell over the bookcase at the far end of the room. She couldn't tear them away. One book in particular...

_I've always been here, sweet child. Waiting for you, only you._

"Me?" she asked, coming closer still. The book seemed ordinary enough, bound in leather with no discernible markings on it. Without thinking, she lifted it from the shelf and turned it over, blowing the dust away from the cover. No words, no symbols, no characters. And yet, the book felt strangely heavier than it should.

She caught herself reaching to pull back the cover and stopped.

_Don't be afraid, Anna._

She could feel her heart pounding in her head. Her fingers felt numb, and a cold sheen of sweat had broken out across her skin. Anna bit her lip and glanced up at the door, then back to the book. She wasn't afraid. So why did she hesitate?

"Why?" she finally managed to whisper. The voice, somehow closer now, whispered in her ear.

_You're the only one who can._

Taking a deep breath, Anna nodded and, with trembling hands, pulled open the cover of the book. Blank pages. She narrowed her eyes and sighed, flipping through the book in frustration. Every single page was blank. With a groan, she threw the book over her shoulder, onto the bed, and buried her face in her hands.

"Stupid, so stupid! What were you expecting? It's just a book..." she muttered, shaking her head. She barely moved when she heard a knock at the door.

"Anna? Are you in here?"

"Yeah...it's open," Anna sighed, smiling in spite of herself when Elsa slipped in, shutting the door behind her. The queen returned the smile, though Anna could see the worry in her eyes. As Elsa slid down beside her, the princess resumed gazing at the floor.

"Are you alright?" Elsa asked. She started to reach out, but paused just as her fingers brushed against Anna's shoulder.

With a little, forced laugh, Anna took her sister's hand, slipping her fingers between Elsa's. Her hands were always so cold. Finally, a real smile broke out across Anna's face. It was wonderful, "I'm fine, so, how was your meeting? I'm really sorry about that, I had no idea you were having one or I wouldn't have just barged in like that, I mean that was really disrespectful and not very princess-like and I just want to apologize because, I mean, I should have known better..." Anna trailed off, her rambling stifled by the butterflies in her stomach when she realized Elsa was laughing.

"Anna, it's fine. I had hoped it wouldn't take so long, so let me apologize for not telling you," Elsa finally explained, covering her mouth to stifle the last of her giggles. Her smile faltered, quickly fading when Anna turned away, staring at the floor once again, "Anna, what's wrong?"

"It's...I'm not even sure now, it was probably nothing," Anna laughed, falling back on the bed and gesturing toward the ceiling. With a long sigh, Anna laid her hands on her stomach and frowned.

"You miss them, is that it?"

It wasn't wrong, Anna thought. At the same time, it wasn't the whole answer. Mulling over the possibilities, she finally settled on, "Yeah, I guess so. It just seems to really...hit me every now and then. They're really gone," Anna laughed softly, "You know, I guess I just...now that you and I, we're..." she trailed off, but was sure she saw Elsa nod.

"I know how you feel," Elsa began, "Even though they've been gone for so long, it's still so hard to accept that they won't be coming back some day. They won't...their ship won't pull up to the harbor and they'll step out like they took a wrong turn somewhere," Elsa laughed, but Anna could hear the hurt, and maybe bitterness, in her voice.

Anna sat up, slipping her arms around her sister and resting her chin on her shoulder. There were snowflakes fluttering through the air and Anna could see their breath in the air. "They'd be proud of you, Elsa." Anna tightened her embrace when Elsa shuddered in her arms. For a second, the room grew colder. Then, with a small sigh, the cold faded away and the snow melted. Following some unspoken understanding, the two climbed to their feet and made their way out of the room.

At Anna's insistence, Elsa went into the details of her "extremely important advisory meeting" that had taken over two hours. The door slid closed, drowning out Anna's laughter when Elsa began to describe the kerfuffle that arose concerning the color of the curtains in the castle foyer.

On the bed, the book Anna had thrown aside began to tremble. Suddenly, the cover flew open, flipping through pages wildly. Black text, outlined in dark blues and purples, appeared on the once blank parchment. With a low, humming roar, a great light erupted from the tome, passing through the ceiling and into the sky above the castle. As quick as it began, it was over. There were now words spread across the pages. With a groan and a heave, the pages flipped back, until settling on the image of a large bird. The text on the page twisted, until spelling out a message beneath the image.

_ As High as Honor_

XxXxX

"So, they honestly spent two hours discussing the castle décor?" Anna's voice was incredulous, though that was quickly drowned away with a soft moan as she sipped her steaming cup of hot chocolate. She sighed with content, turning her half-lidded eyes toward her sister.

Elsa paused, both to savor her drink and furrow her brow. Anna couldn't help cocking her head with curiosity, "At first, yes...though, I must admit the greater part of our," Elsa cleared her throat, "Discussion, was in regards to something a bit more personal," The way she trailed off, and the way her cheeks flushed the softest shade of pink, Anna was certain she knew where conversation had drifted. Since her return from the north mountain, it seemed Elsa's advisers loved to bring up her lack of an heir every chance they got. And every time, her sister had the same explanation.

"I understand that other kingdoms...hm...my kingdom, is getting anxious. I've heard the rumors, the whispering behind my back. It's just..." she muttered into her cocoa. Anna moved a bit closer, gently laying her hand against her sister's shoulder. Elsa sighed and shook her head, casting a thankful smile toward Anna. The princess' heart fluttered and her own smile grew.

The moment was ruined by a horrible shriek that shook the castle itself, knocking books from the book shelf and toppling candlesticks and dishes alike. The sisters shot to their feet, gasping when the sitting room was suddenly filled with armed guards. Each looked more panicked than the next.

"What's the meaning of this? What is happening?" Elsa asked, setting down her cup and slipping seamlessly into an air of authority. The nearest guard bowed, jumping when another screech shook the castle. Now Anna was certain she could hear screams outside the castle.

The guard stumbled over his words, "Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness," He threw a quick bow to Anna, "It's not safe here, we need to get you both away from the windows," The poor man was already backing away from the offending glass as he spoke, his face pale as a sheet.

"What's wrong? What's happening outside?" Elsa asked once again, her tone firmer, her icy gaze locked with another of their guards.

"A beast, Your Majesty," he explained, breathless. He cleared his throat, "A bird, black as night, with wings that blot out the sun. It's-MAJESTY!" The queen was already across the room, moving quick as the wind with a fierceness in her eyes that startled the guards meant to halt her charge into danger. Before the others recovered, Anna was gone, hot on her sister's heels, "Bloody, let's go! Move!" The guards quickly hurried after the royal family as another screech shook the castle. Cracks were appearing in sitting room windows.

XxXxX

Anna gasped, nearly tripping when she came to a sudden halt beside Elsa. The town was in complete disarray. Market stalls turned over, spilling product and produce into the streets to be carelessly smashed by the fleeing townspeople. Carts overturned, windows smashed, awnings torn down. But worse than the sight was the sound. The screams filling the air as innocent people ran for cover. The sound of children crying, struggling to avoid being trampled in the chaos. Somewhere a candle or a lantern must have shattered. A fire was roaring, spreading quickly through the palace town's market.

"Kristoff!" Somehow, Anna's voice managed to carry over the din of the panic. A blond-haired head turned up, his face a mixture of surprise and exhaustion. Behind him, his new sled lay casually discarded. The royal ice master had thrown it aside and, with the help of a talking snowman and a mangy reindeer, was doing his best to get those who needed help to safety.

"Anna? Get out of here! It's too dangerous!" He called back, ducking and shielding a little girl with his body. A terrible sound, like the sky splitting open, echoed overhead. Anna tilted her head back and her mouth fell open.

"Oh my God..." Black as night, the creature, bigger than any she'd ever seen before, seemed so dark it sucked away the light around it. With wings that blot out the sun, even that was an understatement. When it spread its wings, it was like night falling over all of Arendelle. Even from a distance, Anna could see spears and arrows flying at it, but nothing seemed able to even slow it down.

It screeched again and dove, fast as lightning, toward the ground. Toward- "Kristoff! Look out!"

Anna's scream came too late. Kristoff threw himself forward, in one last effort to protect the children he'd pulled from the carnage. Anna felt a sudden rush of activity beside her and turned, just in time to see her sister's hands fly out, unleashing a torrent of frigid wind. The icy blast hit the monster's side, knocking it off course and, instead, crashing into the side of a building. It rose quickly, its gaze now focused on the queen, herself.

"No, Elsa, it's coming this way! What do we do?" Anna turned from her sister, to the bird, then back to Elsa. Her sister lifted her dress and slammed her heel against the ground, freezing it solid. Already, snow was starting to swirl around her. Taking a deep breath, she threw a glance in Anna's direction.

"I'll slow it down, you help Kristoff and the others,"

"What? Elsa you can't fight that thing alone!"

"Anna, just do as I ask. I have to-" Elsa was cut off, thrown violently by a wicked blow from the monster. She flew backward, slamming against the stone gate to the castle. Anna's hands crept to her mouth, struggling to hold back a scream. Elsa slid to the ground, gasping for breath. Unfortunately, the princess didn't have time to mourn her sister. The bird whipped around and gave a horrible screech before advancing on her. Anna backed away slowly, her hands trembling.

_Why are you afraid, sweet child? You know what to do._

What? Anna thought, stumbling and tripping. She stared up, helplessly, as the bird reared back and screeched, lunging for her. What power did she have to stop this monster?

"ANNA!" Anna's eyes widened. A massive snowy fist shot out, straight from the ground, colliding with the monster's head and throwing it backward.

"Get OUT!" Bellowed a familiar voice. The frozen ground had turned to snow, mixing with the steady flurry now pouring down from the skies. Elsa's snow golem, Marshmallow, rose up from the ground and tackled the monster before it could recover from the original blow.

"Elsa? Elsa!" Anna stumbled to her feet and hurried to her sister, slipping and stumbling on the frozen ground below. Elsa was breathing heavily, her eyes only half open. A snowflake, Elsa's snowflake, was etched into the ground where her hand had collided, summoning Marshmallow just in time. She was lying on her stomach, her arm thrown out, mirroring the blow that had saved her sister. Anna pulled Elsa into her arms, cradling her head against her chest.

"Elsa, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" she cried. Elsa's breathing steadied, but Anna could feel her struggling to stay conscious.

"Anna just...stay safe...I'll...Marshmallow...we can..." Elsa stuttered.

Anna laid Elsa up against the wall she'd crashed into before. She was pale, moreso than usual. Glancing back over her shoulder. Anna watched Marshmallow struggle with the creature. Every blow he threw shook the ground, but only seemed to further agitate the already furious beast. The bird tried to take to the air, only to be pulled back down. In retaliation, it tore at Marshmallow's arm, pecking until tearing it completely from his body. With a mighty roar, the golem slammed the bird against the ground and picked up his arm, putting it back in place.

"He can slow it down but..."

_Don't be afraid, Anna._

Biting back her fear, and her growing suspicion that she just might be insane, Anna stopped to check on Elsa one last time before hurrying back toward the town. Any attempt to get at the bird from the front would just get her eaten. But, there was no way she could sneak up on it, not while it was fighting Marshmallow. Anna glanced at the sky, then back at the bird. If there was no way to attack from the front or from the rear. As she neared the town, she noticed a guard who had been knocked out fighting the beast. Without a second thought, Anna snatched his spear and made her way to the closest building, scaling the side as quickly as she could manage.

"This is crazy, what am I doing?" Anna asked herself, even as she ascended to the roof and made her way to the next, taller building. With a grunt, she slid the spear into her waistband and prayed she wouldn't accidentally cut her skirt loose. Panting, but suddenly filled not with terror, but with clarity, Anna walked to the edge of the rooftop. Two stories below, Marshmallow was still wrestling with the bird, though it was clear the golem was beginning to wear down.

What would happen if Elsa lost consciousness? Would Marshmallow vanish? Fall apart? Anna shook her head. She didn't have time to think like that. She was only going to get one shot. If she was wrong, or if she missed...

_You're the only one who can._

Anna backed away from the edge, retrieving her spear. She swallowed and closed her eyes. Just one shot. With a battle cry, and one last prayer, Anna rushed forward and threw herself into the air. Turning the spear down, the princess plummeted through the air, falling faster and faster until...

She landed on the bird's back, the spear crashing down into its neck, piercing the iron-like skin and spraying black light out like blood. The bird threw its head back roaring with one last, pained cry. The glass around them shattered. Marshmallow was blown backward, collapsing in a heap on the ground. The black light continued to pour out around the spear. The bird's scream grew louder and shriller, becoming almost human before it finally went silent. The monster collapsed, throwing Anna to the ground.

Somehow, the princess landed on her feet, still clutching the spear in her hand. Anna stared, wide-eyed at the great monster. It didn't twitch, didn't shudder in the freak summer chill.

Just like that...it was over.

The beast was dead.

Kristoff, supporting a barely conscious Elsa, approached the still flabbergasted princess. The spur-of-the-moment heroine. "Anna! You killed that thing! W-Wow! And just..." He trailed off. Elsa peered up, gasping.

"What?" Anna turned around slowly. The bird was glowing, a fierce light of black, blue and purple. The light grew fiercer, wind whipping around the creature as a new tuneless sound filled the air. Then, the light rushed out, swirling around the auburn-haired princess. Anna threw her head back, the light and wind flooding her eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

With a soft moan, Anna fell to her knees. Images. Words. Feelings. Memories. All flashing through her mind, filling her until it was too much to take. Her eyes unfocused, and with one last shuddering breath, Anna collapsed.


	2. Chapter 2 - In a Daze and a Dream

**Author's Note - I'm terrible at writing author's notes, so I apologize if this comes across weird. Thanks to everyone for the kind words, I really do appreciate it. I will warn you, don't expect this kind of turn around from me again. I'm a notoriously sporadic writer so, while I did this chapter in a few hours, it may take me a week to come up with the title for the next one. That said...wow this one is weird. Good luck!**

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**Destined**

**Chapter 2 – In a Daze and a Dream**

"_Is this the one? Looks a strong lad, doesn't he?" The large man at the door threw his head back, bellowing a loud, belly full of laughter. The teenage boy's cheeks darkened until his freckles were all but invisible. With a sigh, he marched away from the door, a taller man, his father, taking his place. The lord of the house laughed, clapping his eldest son on the shoulder with a wry grin._

_ "This one? Not a chance! I need someone to blow the dust from my study, gods know I don't touch those musty old tomes," The two men shared another laugh, while the boy in question threw a glare at another, younger, figure, peeking over the top of the stairs. The adults' laughter ceased abruptly when a small thud hit the ground nearby. A small girl, cheeks painted with freckles, her dark hair fallen over her face in a messy veil, pattered toward them. The big man's grin grew greater still and another bout of mirth filled his belly._

_ "This one then?" he chuckled, kneeling down to look her in the eye, "Why, she can't be more than seven! Surely you're joking, old friend,"_

_ The young man cleared his throat, jerking his thumb toward the staircase. The large man peered up, following the steps up one, two, three, four stories. He cocked his head in confusion, glancing at the girl, then to the young man: her oldest brother._

_ "She jumped from the top," he explained. The man glanced back down at the little girl, a smirk spread across her lips, half-hidden behind her mop of messy locks._

XxXxX

A pair of tired green eyes creaked open, quickly slamming shut again when assaulted by the dim light pouring into her otherwise dark room. A tiny groan managed to find its way from her lips, startling the room's only other occupant.

"Anna?" That voice? She recognized that voice. In spite of the pain throbbing behind her eyes, she managed to smile. It belonged to her sister. That girl with the messy black hair and freckles on her cheeks. A sharp pain shot through her thoughts, bringing her hands dizzily to her temples. She groaned again, more frantic this time. She tried to roll over, but a pair of soft, cool hands caught her wrists, pulling them away from her face.

She cracked her eyes open again, catching sight of a pair of sparkling blue eyes. The pain in her head dulled, and a word tried bubbling up from within her. It caught on the tip of her tongue, just barely managing to spill out.

"Elsa..." she gibbered, the word tripping clumsily over her dry lips. Not the girl with black hair, but her sister. With blonde hair and perfect eyes, hands cool to the touch as they brushed away her bangs and pressed against her forehead. She closed her eyes and sighed, a sudden heaviness falling over her eyelids.

"It's alright, you're alright now, Anna," Elsa reassured her, still tracing her searing skin, brushing beads of sweat away from her brow. She could feel the tremble in her sister's touch, hear the tinge of worry in her voice.

And yet, she believed her. She was alright. Just so, so tired. And lost. And confused.

She screwed her eyes shut, once again trying to grab her head. And, like before, her sister caught her wrists in her gentle, but firm grasp. And, like before, she felt herself sigh in content. The heaviness weighing on her eyes refused to lift, but her chest seemed lighter. The pain in her head subsided with each circle her sister's thumbs drew in her palms.

"Just relax, Anna...I promise, I'll be here when you wake up," Elsa insisted.

And she believed her. With a long, breathy sigh, her thoughts slipped into darkness once again.

XxXxX

_It was a warm Summer's afternoon, the recruits lazing on the fields after a tough bout of training. Most chose to rest in the grass, sitting and talking about their plans for the night or dreams of the future, while others sprawled out, dead to the world. One recruit, however, was perched high up in an old oak tree. A tree older than any of the recruits, one that had seen the fiercest that the long winters had to offer. And at the very top, resting on its highest bow, was a teenage girl with dirty dark hair, and freckles painted across her cheeks. _

_ She munched on an apple, her eyes darting left and right, scanning their training fields with almost obsessive eagerness. Her bite caught in her throat. With a rough swallow, she dropped her apple and swung her legs over the branch._

_ Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called to her fellows, "Look alive! The captain is coming with a guest!" In case any of them missed her call, she popped her fingers in her mouth and gave a great whistle: three sharp tweets and one long, shrill squeal._

_ That got their attention. Even the heaviest sleepers tore themselves from dreamland to salute their captain the moment he came over the hill. The captain nodded to each of them, a knowing, but frustrated smile flickering on the corners of his mouth._

_ "And where," he began, "Is the Hawk?" He, his guest, and the rest of the recruits turned and watched the young lady drop some forty feet from the top of the tree, just to land neatly on her feet, already mid-bow._

_ "Present and accounted for!" she chirped, grinning behind her unkempt bangs. The captain took a moment to roughly brush the hair from her face. Still, she didn't miss the smirk he wore just for her._

_ The captain cleared his throat, speaking loud enough for them all to hear, "You'd do well to show your superiors the proper respect, My Lady," he made sure to emphasize her title, knowing how it irritated her to no end. The Hawk frowned, making no attempt to hide her disdain. The captain turned to his guest, cocking his head._

_ "Wouldn't you agree, My Lord?" He was a tall man, but not broad with muscles. No, while he was surely toned, this man was slick as he was powerful, with a messy mop of hair that rivaled even the Hawk's untamed locks and the scratchiest beard any of them had ever seen._

_ "Lady Sofia...what was it they call you?" he asked. His voice was low, like a warning growl. But, there was a distinct playfulness in his eyes. The young lady couldn't resist smiling. She hadn't seen him since she was a child._

_ "The Hawk," she replied, with a cocky twitch at the corner of her mouth._

_ The man pursed his lips and crossed his arms. Eyebrow cocked, he couldn't resist cracking a grin, "And they tell me you can fly?"_

XxXxX

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty. It's just...everyone is beginning to worry. You should at least address the populace," That voice, it was familiar. Not the scratchy-haired man, but someone nearer. Someone she'd known since she was a child. Those thoughts vanished, like a puff of smoke, when she heard her sister's voice. She couldn't help shivering, struggling to reach her fingers or toes, to move at all, hearing that sweet sound. So full of authority, but still twinged with worry. She could take that worry away, if only she could open her eyes.

"Kai, I understand, but I will not leave Anna's side. I promised her that I would be here when she woke up. What if she's confused? What if she needs me? I have to stay, and that's final. Tell everyone...tell them I will make an address as soon as my sister is well again," Elsa explained. She could almost picture her sister hitting her palm with her fist, just to emphasize her determination.

Finally, she managed to reach something and licked her lips noisily. There was a quick gasp, and suddenly a warm pressure beside her. She managed a sigh, and a moan, when she felt those wonderful, soft, cold hands on her face.

"Anna? Are you awake?" Yes, of course she was awake. At least, as awake as she could be. She was the Hawk, she could leap from tall buildings and trees. It would take a little more than basic training to keep her down. Wait, what? A screeching pain shot through her head and a small scream found its way from her sore throat.

"What's wrong? Anna, it's alright! You're safe, just relax...what can I do?" Elsa pleaded. She let her pull her hands away, gasping when she felt her cold palm on her forehead.

"Your Majesty, if I may...perhaps it is..." Kai cleared his throat. What did he want to say? Why was he stopping Elsa from comforting her? Why take her attention away? "Perhaps it's, ahem, a bit cold for Her Royal Highness," something in the tone of his voice. What did he mean by that? If only she could...

She forced her eyes open and smiled a weary smile. Her sister, Elsa, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, was so close now. Head turned, worried blue eyes narrowed and locked on the disturbance at the door. Pale skin almost radiant in the light coming into the room. And...snowflakes? She blinked, weakly cocking her head, nearly throwing it from her pillow. There were snowflakes fluttering in the air around her. Elsa's hands felt colder than she remembered.

"Oh..." Elsa mouthed, tossing her braid back and forth as she looked around the room. Whatever she saw, must have startled her, she reasoned. Suddenly, her sister seemed overcome with a different kind of worry.

"Perhaps, it would be best if you-"

"No!" Elsa caught herself and took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was much calmer, but clearly forced, "No, I will get this under control. But, I am not leaving Anna's side. If she..." Elsa turned, and finally managed to catch sight of the tired green eyes looking up at her. The goofy smile on her face grew. She managed to find her fingers and waved, amazed she was able to get her own hand off the bed.

"Elsa..." With a groan, her eyes rolled back and her eyelids slid shut once more.

XxXxX

_Breaths coming in rapid-fire gasps, the Hawk quickly crossed the bridge, shouting to the guards to shut the gate. It wouldn't hold, but with any luck it would buy her time. All she needed now was time. The young woman slowed to a jog, spinning around to get a better look at the entrance to the fortress. A thin bridge, no more than ten feet wide, but almost thirty long, with a dizzying drop off on either side. There was no way into the fortress except by the bridge._

_ "You! What happened out there? Where are the others?!" One of the guards shouted, coming down to meet her. The Hawk shoved passed him, quickly gazing up at the old stone fortress. "Answer me, girl!" He reached out, grabbing at her arm. The Hawk slid out of his grasp and took a sudden leap at the wall, clearing the fifteen foot gap between the bridge and the crosswalk. The guard at the bottom stared up at her, slack-jawed. It was how most reacted to seeing the Hawk fly for the first time._

_ "No time, just get inside and prepare for the worst," she called back, making another dizzying jump to one of the statues lining the fortress, followed by one last jump had her in the window of the fifth story. She had to hurry, they would be at the gates in minutes. If they were going to make it through the night, she would need to be prepared._

_ The Hawk quickly pulled her bow from her shoulder and knelt down on the window sill, lining up her shot with the bridge. "Bring me all the arrows you have in the fortress, and don't stop feeding me until I say," she threw a glare over her shoulder, "Got it?"_

_ "Yes, M'lady!" the guard cried, hurrying to gather her supplies. The first blow collided with the gate. The Hawk cursed under her breath and knocked her first arrow. _

_ Her unit had been caught off guard, completely slaughtered by the creatures' sudden appearance. Hundreds of them, feral little bastards only shin high but with sharp teeth and brutal claws, had swarmed from the forest around them. If she hadn't been in her perch..._

_ The Hawk bit her lip and shook her head. Every friend she'd ever made had run with that crew. She'd lost every single one of them. Her friends. Her comrades. Her brothers and sisters. She narrowed her eyes, hearing the gate splinter._

_ As soon as the first creature tore through the gate, an arrow tore through its eye. The Hawk's lips pulled back, becoming a snarl. Her next shot caught the bastard's brother in the throat._

XxXxX

This time, when she woke, it was with a strangled cry. Pain tore through her head and through her heart. What was on her? Heavy, hot, tangled. She struggled, clutching her breast and pressing her hand against her eye, trying to bury the pain burning just behind her vision.

"Anna! Stop, you're dreaming!" It couldn't be a dream. But, it couldn't be real. Even feeling her sweet, cold touch couldn't tear her thoughts away from the fear gripping her. Rain, pouring down on a stone bridge, washing away the fountain of blood pouring from each of the hundred little corpses. How was she still alive? How had she made it through the night?

"Wh-Where...where..." she kept muttering, struggling to open her eyes. She froze, suddenly wrapped in a cool, calming embrace. She buried her face in whatever that wonderful softness was, slipping her arms around what must have been her sister's slender neck. And, with a wrenching cry, she started to sob.

"Oh Anna, it's okay...it was just a dream. You're safe with me," She wanted to believe her. Her voice, like the twinkle of bells in winter, echoed in her head. But, just the same, she heard their screams. The horrible screams of her friends, her brothers torn apart. She heard her own screech, a horrible, earth-shattering sound that echoed through the stormy night air. She could feel the tension in her arms as she pulled back another arrow; she could smell the noxious blood filling the air.

"Elsa, Elsa..." It took all of her strength, but she managed to say the name that chased away her fears. The name that soothed her heart and slowed her tears. She forced her eyes open, peering around the room with a watery gaze. She met Elsa's patient, loving, worried gaze and felt her lips quivering, her chest hitching as she began to cry again. She buried her face in her sister's breast again and held onto her with all her distant, quickly fading strength.

"Don't cry, please..." Elsa whispered in her ear. Her embrace tightened. Her hand slid lower, rubbing her back. The other caressed her hair, doing what it could to soothe her troubled thoughts. She couldn't stop shaking. She could feel the heaviness filling her again. She could feel her eyelids slipping shut.

It was all she could do to moan "Please don't go..." before being pulled under once again.

XxXxX

_Winter had come, and this time, it wasn't going anywhere, she realized with a grimace. The others, they'd teased her for being a Summer child, but none of them seemed any better for the wear as their group marched through the harsh snowy gale. They'd been on the move for a fortnight now, only stopping when absolutely necessary, or to thwart one of the countless treacheries set before them. Now, though, the Hawk couldn't deny that she was tired. And it was getting hard to feel her toes._

_ "We have to stop," she finally said. Somehow, they must have heard her because everyone came to a weary halt. She expected one of them to argue. Many of them seemed weary of her attitude, and her snark, but when the mangy-haired man at the front turned and nodded, they began to set up camp. Keeping a fire in this horrid place was a monumental task. And yet, once their hearth was lit and the eleven of them sat huddled around it, it almost felt peaceful _

_ It would have, had she not caught sight of something hideous out of the corner of her eye. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she shot from the ground, straight into one of the petrified, leafless trees that dotted their path. With another leap, her legs shaking, she reached the top. The air up there was horrible, but it took her just a moment to clarify what she'd seen._

_ "This is bad..." she muttered. Someone must have heard. One of the lords was calling to her. Without thinking, the Hawk quickly leveled her bow with the beast and fired off an arrow, against the wind. It split the creature's head in half, dropping it to the ground._

_ "Did you get it, girl?" One of the others called. The Hawk heard the little girl gasp when her bow slid from her fingers and dropped to the ground._

_ She got the one. But there were ten more to take its place._

XxXxX

"Your Majesty...I'm sorry, Elsa, how is she?" Kristoff asked, slipping into the room, passing a steaming cup of hot chocolate to the queen. Kai had informed him she'd barely taken anything since Anna had fallen unconscious. He smiled, feeling it a small victory when she took a sip from the cup and licked her lips. With a measured breath, the queen turned to look at him.

He was sure she hadn't wanted him to, but he saw the redness in her eyes.

"She...hasn't woken up since yesterday. But, she seems to be resting peacefully," Elsa took a small sip of her cocoa, but the worry in her eyes refused to leave, "For now..." she added quietly.

Kristoff nodded, crossing over to the sleeping princess. He brushed the wild hair away from her face and smiled. With a nod, he started for the door, pausing just long enough to glance back at the queen.

"Your Majesty..." Elsa shot him a look, "I'm sorry, Elsa," he corrected himself, "You shouldn't push yourself so hard. She's going to be fine. Anna's tough,"

"I know," she nodded. He hadn't been there to see her cry. He hadn't heard the pain in her voice, or felt the strength in her grip when she clung to Elsa for dear life. He hadn't seen the haunted look in her eyes, or heard the terror in her voice, begging her to stay by her side.

Elsa took a deep breath and sighed, "I know,"


	3. Chapter 3 - Her Journey Begins

**Destined**

**Chapter 3 – Her Journey Begins**

"Elsa?" Her strangled moan broke the silence that once hung over the sleepy, dark room. As she finally managed to force her eyes open, the young princess was surprised to find herself alone. No light came in through the window, though the curtains were drawn tight. There were no candles lit, no sound of breathing other than hers. Her weary green eyes scanned the room, her disappointment growing the realization set in slowly. She was alone.

"Where is she?" Anna murmured, just above a whisper. She'd promised to be there when she woke, hadn't she? Then again, just how long had she been asleep?

Anna's hands flew to her head, a loud screech filling her thoughts and a blinding light flashing behind her eyes. She groaned and rolled onto her side, burying her head underneath her pillows. She felt herself filling up with strange thoughts, images, memories once again. Her mind started to spin, her vision began to get blurry, and she became horribly aware of a pressure building in the back of her mind. She was sinking into a dream again.

With every ounce of willpower she could muster, Anna managed to force her eyes open, and to roll onto her back. The ceiling seemed so much closer than she recalled.

"What was that?" she asked no one in particular.

She jumped when a deep, distant voice answered, "A memory, one you've inherited,"

Anna shot up as fast as she could, pressing her back up against the headboard, staring, wide-eyed, at the figure across from her. Sitting in front of the mirror at the other end of of the room, the figure slouched, hidden beneath a great dark cloak. His, the voice was deep with the tinge of a sophisticated accent, face was hidden beneath a hood. Even when he tilted his head up, Anna could just barely make out his smile in the shadows.

"It's good to finally see you awake. You must have so many questions," he said, gesturing toward her with a large hand. The longer Anna stared at him, the larger he seemed. Swallowing the fear building up in her chest, Anna took a deep breath and nodded.

"Who...are you?" Her voice was meeker than she'd hoped. Not for the first time, she wished she could carry herself with Elsa's natural air of authority.

"I am called Mikael," he replied, his piercing gaze never wavering from Anna, "I am the friend you need most, right now," he explained.

Unsure, but curiosity growing, Anna allowed herself to relax. Her fingers twitched, wishing for the feel of a bow between them. She gasped, grabbing her head when another shrieking squeal shot through her thoughts. The stranger, Mikael, held out his hand.

"Please, relax, Your Royal Highness. Sorting out the here and now from the then and done is not an easy task. Particularly for one so young. You've not yet attained a stable grasp on what is it that makes you Anna, you should be careful to avoid losing yourself in Sofia,"

Sofia. That name somehow sorted out her thoughts. The blinding pain faded and Anna managed to steady her breathing once again. Now, more curious than ever, she looked up at the stranger, "Sofia. You know about Sofia?" That was the name of the girl in her dreams. The girl they called

"The Hawk, yes." Mikael nodded, "Are you ready to listen yet?"

Anna bit her lip and nodded.

"You've caused quite a stir, Princess Anna. Opening the book was something...well, not entirely unexpected," Mikael chuckled, "After all, it was your destiny. How fortunate you are that I was able to find you so quickly. Without my aid, ah...well, I fear for the safety of your beloved ones,"

"What?" Anna fought out from beneath the blankets, crawling closer to the strange man. In the dark, it was still too hard to make out his face beneath the hood. She got the impression, though, that he was still smiling. "What's going to happen to Elsa?" she cleared her throat, sitting back on her heels and blushing, "And Kristoff, and the others," she trailed off when he laughed again.

"You need not fear, Your Royal Highness, your beloved ones will be safe. Did I not say you were fortunate to have met me? I alone understand what is to transpire, I alone understand what it is you are destined for. You opened the book, you set this chain of events into motion. And you, alone, can put an end to over seven hundred years of suffering,"

"The girl from your dreams, Lady Sofia of the House of Gandrud, was one of the heroes born from the eleven old Great Houses of this land. Long before the formation of the Kingdom of Arendelle," he explained, gesturing with a large hand, "She was an exceptional young woman, born with the ability to...fly, they called it. Height seemed to have no meaning to her, able to jump impossible heights, or fall from even greater ones. And her marksmanship? Peerless...alas, she died at the tender age of nineteen. But a year older than yourself, Your Royal Highness,"

"They called her the Hawk," Anna spoke aloud. Her eyes widened as the image of that great, terrible bird from before flashed in her mind. "The Hawk..." she trembled, clenching her fists.

"You're beginning to understand. Good," Mikael commended her, nodding, "Yes, that creature you slew, that was the nightmare of Lady Sofia. I'll explain in greater detail once we're free of this place," He looked around the room with obvious disdain, "It's not safe here. The longer we speak, the clock ticks on. It won't be long before the next nightmare is freed from the book,"

"Wait, what? The next one? What do you mean, there's more like her?" Anna asked, though she knew the answer. The eleven Great Houses. There had been eleven people in her dream, in Sofia's memory, making their way through that snowy wasteland.

"Eleven nightmares were sealed within the book. The nightmares of the eleven heroes of this land. Before long, they will all awaken and set their wrath upon this world. And only the hero of the twelfth Great House, the greatest of them all, can put them to rest," Mikael rose from where he sat. He was impossibly tall, the biggest man Anna had ever seen in all her life. She wondered how he would compare to Marshmallow; he might even make the snow golem feel small.

"The twelfth house...Arendelle?" Anna answered her own question.

"You cannot stay here, Your Royal Highness," Anna looked up, her mind still reeling, "If you stay, the nightmares will attack this place. They will hunt you down. Only you can slay them, so they will seek to destroy you before you can put an end to them. Look what the Hawk alone wrought on this place...all the arrows and blades, even your own sister's magic failed to stop her. You, only you, can defeat the nightmares. Come with me, and I'll make you the greatest hero this world will ever know. I'll teach you what you need to stop the coming darkness,"

Anna shook her head, "I can't...I can't just leave, Elsa will be worried about me. She, she said she'd be here when I woke up. If I'm not here...no! I can't do that to her. I'll come with you once I've told her," The princess gasped. Mikael was in front of her, blocking out the dim light trying to pierce through her window. His form filled her vision, his voice seemed to make the ground tremble when he spoke.

"Your Royal Highness," coming from him, it seemed like an insult, like a parent speaking down to a stubborn child, "Of all those you care for, your sister, above all others, must not know of this burden. Her powers place her in a precarious position. Should you drag her into this conflict, she will undoubtedly put herself in harm's way to protect you. Princess Anna, your sister is powerless against these nightmares. You will only be endangering her. If Queen Elsa is made a part of this conflict, she will die," His tone left no room for argument. The memory of Elsa, swatted aside like a fly filled Anna's thoughts. How her body had gone limp when she hit the ground.

Anna shook her head, hands digging through her hair, "No...no that can't...I couldn't let that happen..."

"Then come with me, alone. Tell no one of your task. Let no one else be a part of this,"

"I feel sick..." Anna murmured. Her stomach twisted and turned; her head throbbed and her chest ached. She felt a warm hand on her forehead, slowly pushing her back to her pillow.

"Rest. When you are well again, leave to the east. You will find me," Beneath the dark hood, Mikael smiled, "We can put an end to this, Princess Anna. An end to seven hundred years of suffering. You will be remembered as the greatest hero this world will ever know,"

Anna tried to respond, tried to say anything. Her tongue got tied and her words fumbled over her lips as she fell asleep once again.

XxXxX

"Anna? Are you...oh! You...are?" Kristoff slipped into the room, quickly pressing the door shut behind him. The princess was in a frenzy, rushing to and fro doing something. Packing? He noticed a satchel on the bed. "Hey, Anna, what's going on? Hey! Slow down!" he caught her by her shoulders, finally bringing a halt to her frantic pacing.

"Kristoff? You shouldn't be...this is a lady's room, sir!" She huffed, pulling away from him and tucking her hair behind her ear. She had to find some way to get him to leave. Some way to avoid the conversation that was probably just seconds away from happening. If she could think of something, anything to keep him from asking-

"So what are you doing?" Rats! Anna winced. Too late! Taking a long, shuddering breath, Anna stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, assuming the most authoritative pose she could manage. Kristoff crossed his arms, eyebrow raised in confusion. It was going to take the absolute best lie she could come up with. It would probably hurt his feelings, but she couldn't risk putting him in danger again. And she definitely couldn't risk-

"Please don't tell Elsa!" she blurted out, hands clasped, eyes pleading, "Please, please don't tell Elsa about this,"

"About what? You haven't told me anything yet. You're not planning on sneaking out are you?" Kristoff managed to peek around her, catching sight of the satchel of clothes she was putting together. He turned back to her, jaw dropping, "You can't be serious. Where do you think you're going? The queen, sorry, I mean, Elsa will be devastated if you leave! She was by your side for four days, Anna! She's been worrying herself sick over you! I've been worrying over you!" he pointed to himself, to emphasize his point.

Anna sighed, turning away from him and throwing down the dress she'd been holding, "I know...it's hard to explain. You just have to trust me,"

Anna went back to packing, but this time with Kristoff hot on her heels, "Trust you with what? Anna, I can't just let you leave. The kingdom was just attacked by a giant bird, for crying out loud!" he argued. Anna stopped by the window, securing the sheet she was going to use to climb down. She peeked out, making sure the coast was clear, then turned to face Kristoff.

"That's why I have to leave! That bird was looking for me, and there are more like it that are going to attack and if I stay here, then they'll attack Arendelle, and you and Elsa will be in danger and no one else can stop them except me, so I have to go meet this really tall, and I mean like, really tall, guy in the woods to the east so he can teach me how to fight them, or something like that, he never really explained it, and if I don't, then everyone is going to die, and it will be all my fault for not going to him when I should have, and I can't let you and Elsa get hurt because of me!" Panting, she finally stopped to catch her breath, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I...didn't catch most of that. There are more?" Kristoff asked, hugging Anna tight when she pressed herself close to him. The princess grabbed a fistful of his shirt and shuddered.

"Ten more,"

"And they're all going to come looking for you?"

"Yes, that's why I have to leave Arendelle. And Elsa won't let me go if she knows I'll be in danger. But, Kristoff, you saw what happened with that bird. I'm the only person who can stop them,"

Kristoff pulled away, holding her at arm's length "Let me come with you then!" he exclaimed, "It'll be just like before, and someone has to be there to make sure you don't get yourself hurt or try to climb a mountain again," he chuckled. His laughter trailed off when Anna pulled away, shaking her head.

"No, I need you to stay here," She bit her lip, nodding to herself. "You have to say so that you can look after Elsa while I'm gone. You said it yourself, Kristoff...she's going to be devastated when I'm not here. I need to know someone is with her."

"Anna...this is a bad idea," He crossed his arms, but stayed put when she swung her leg over the windowsill. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Kristoff handed Anna her satchel once she was outside.

"It's not the best! But," Again, Anna saw Elsa knocked through the air. She heard the weakness in her voice. She felt the flames wracking the city, heard the screech of the monster overhead. Again, Anna heard Mikael's promise. Everyone she knew would be in danger if she stayed. "I can't put Arendelle in danger. I'll be fine. Just trust me and don't tell Elsa what I'm doing," she pleaded.

Kristoff nodded, glancing back over his shoulder. Anna leaned back inside, planting a soft kiss on his cheek, "Thanks, Kristoff. I'll be back before you have a chance to miss me! "And with that, she was gone, sidling down the side of the castle.

She had only made it a few feet, when, suddenly, Anna heard the distinct sound of something tearing. She gasped, looking up. She heard Kristoff shout from her window, but she couldn't see or hear anything except the sight and sound of the sheet tearing. It was like the world was moving in slow motion when it tore free, sending her into free fall.

Without thinking, she swung her legs around, twisting in mid air like she had countless times before. She gave a small grunt when her feet hit the ground, rising up and brushing the dust from her dress. A soft thump hit the ground beside her. Her satchel hit the ground just a few feet from her. Her eyes widened. She turned to look back up at the castle, where the sheet had torn just a floor beneath her bedroom window. How far had she fallen?

_And they tell me you can fly?_

"I landed on my feet," Anna muttered, picking up her satchel. She glanced back up at Kristoff, who was staring incredulously down at her. Anna threw him a cautious wave and hurried away, doing her best to avoid drawing attention to herself as she crossed the bridge into the town.

XxXxX

Kristoff stood at the windowsill, staring for longer than he cared to account for. He'd watched Anna, Princess Anna of Arendelle, fall to what should have been her death. At the very least, there was no reason why she should have been able to walk away from that drop. No, instead, she'd landed on her feet and run off like nothing had happened. Like she'd meant to drop some thirty odd feet to the ground below.

"What in the world is going on?" He muttered, stumbling back and sitting on the edge of her bed. How was he going to explain this to the queen? Kristoff shot to his feet, "Oh no, oh this is bad," How was he supposed to explain this to the queen? Anna had barely explained it to him! And worse, she made him promise not to tell her anything!

"Anna?" Kristoff nearly screamed, whipping around when a knock came at the door and the last person he wanted to see stepped into the room.

Queen Elsa cast him a curious glance before turning her attention to the bed. Her eyes widened and the temperature in the room suddenly dropped, "Anna?" she called again, pacing around the room. Her eyes flashed from the clothes strewn across the floor to the sheet tied to the bed post, then finally to Kristoff. Elsa hurried past him, looking out the window. He heard her gasp, probably catching sight of the torn sheet.

"E-Elsa, please just...calm down...Your Majesty," Kristoff managed to mumbled through chattering teeth. The room was filling with a flurry of snow, and the windowsill had frozen where the queen's hands had touched it. Elsa slowly turned to face him, and Kristoff was certain he could feel his insides freezing.

"What happened? Where is Anna?" Elsa asked in a soft, just barely controlled voice. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. Her eyes narrowed, the corner of her mouth twitching. Her chest was rising and falling in rapid little breaths, each blowing a new puff of snowflakes into the air.

Kristoff jumped, realizing he'd backed himself against the wall. He swallowed the lump in his throat, "I...don't know. She wouldn't tell me where she was going," The ice was creeping up the walls, cracking the mirror and splintering the door. Were she not inches from him, hands suddenly gripping his collar, he may not have been able to see her through the quickly intensifying flurry filling the bedroom.

"What do you mean you don't know!?" Elsa hissed, her teeth clenched. The frost was creeping across his clothes. Jagged icicles were starting to form from the ceiling.

"She just l-left," he shivered, "She wouldn't say anything...she didn't tell me where she was going, or w-what she was doing. I tried to stop her! I...I tried..." he trailed off, not believing it himself. He tried to talk her out of it, but he could have done more to keep her from making the leap out the window. Elsa's grip on his collar tightened. The building storm fizzled, the snowflakes and icicles freezing in mid air.

"Anna...why?" Elsa whispered, pulling away from Kristoff. She slid down onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. It took Kristoff a moment to realize she was crying. He slid onto the bed beside her, staring down at the frozen ground beneath his feet.

"It's...going to be okay, Elsa. She said she'd be back before we missed her," he tried to explain. Hesitating, every inch of his being knowing it was a mistake, Kristoff slowly reached out and wrapped his arm around the queen, giving her shoulders a tight squeeze.

"It'll be okay," he murmured, just above a whisper.


	4. Chapter 4 - Snowman, Angel, and a Bear

**Author's Note: I have the hardest time staying on top of writing. I'm really sorry for the delay in the updates. I've got the next six chapters after this one planned out, it's just a matter of getting myself to actually work on it. That said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also I just watched Brave. That might show.**

* * *

**Destined**

**Chapter 4 – A Snowman, An Angel, and a Bear**

The otherwise peaceful forest jumped when a rather unladylike grunt echoed through the trees. The lone figure groaned and stopped to catch her breath, throwing her satchel the ground. Anna glared at the path ahead of her. She'd been wandering for hours now, with no end in sight. Just how far east did he expect her to go? How far east did the forest even go?

"Lost in a forest...again. Why me? Why a forest? Always the forest!" she muttered under her breath, picking up her satchel and marching onward. She was certain she was going the right way. Of course, it was also possible that she was not going the right way. Anna closed her eyes and clenched her fists. What if she'd spent the last several hours wandering to the west? How was she supposed to know which way was east anyway?

Well, she had asked. And there was something about the sun. And she was pretty sure she'd seen a sign a few miles back. But, what was she even supposed to be looking for?

"Why am I doing this?" she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, I was kind of wondering the same thing, but you kept talking to yourself and I didn't want to interrupt," Anna screamed, whipping around to stare incredulously at her unseen follower. The little snowman looked up at her with a small wave, "Hi!"

"O-Olaf?! What are you doing here? Wait, did you follow me all the way from Arendelle?"

"You know, I think so. See I was walking back to the castle, but then I saw you leaving and I tried to call 'Hey Anna!' but you didn't respond. You looked pretty intense, so I wanted to make sure you were alright," he explained, shrugging and turning around to look down the path they'd taken. The remnants of the snowy trail from his flurry had long since melted.

"Oh, wow, we've been walking a pretty long time, huh?" Olaf chuckled and turned back to Anna, "So where are we going anyway?"

Anna crossed her arms, glancing at Olaf, then back to the east. The forest seemed to thin out somewhere in the distance. Maybe, just maybe, they were getting close to wherever it was she was meant to be?

"I haven't figured that out yet. But, come on, we shouldn't take too long," Anna hurried off again, with Olaf close behind her. Part of her worried for the still chattering snowman. On the one hand, she didn't want him to get hurt, and she couldn't imagine Olaf being particularly useful in a life-or-death battle with some unholy abomination. On the other, she was pretty sure he couldn't be hurt. But, then again, what if he went back, or was summoned like Marshmallow, and then told Elsa where she was? But, mostly, Anna was thankful to have him along. Traveling with someone, even a child-like snowman, was better than traveling alone.

"You were asleep for a really long time. What were you dreaming about?"

"I...hm," How much should she tell him? Frankly, she didn't even know what exactly it was she was dreaming about. It was a memory, of course, but even now she didn't know exactly what it was or why she was remembering it. The memory of Sofia of House Gandrud. That was as far as her certainty went though. Mikael had promised to explain further. Anna narrowed her eyes and picked up her pace. She had to find the mysterious man. She had to know.

The sun was just starting to make its final trek across the sky when the two came across a village. A small, sleepy village nestled away in the forest, one Anna had never even heard of. Then again, she wasn't the most well-versed on Arendelle's geography...there were likely even more villages and towns she didn't know.

"Hey, look! We've got a crowd gathering to greet us!" Olaf commented, "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" He called, waddling into the small crowd of people. Anna sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear and hurrying out of sight to avoid drawing attention to herself. From the corner of her eye, she caught the sight of a shadow passing into a small cottage at the edge of the village, and hurried that way.

"A tavern..." Anna stepped inside. It was a cozy place, with a warm fire burning in the hearth, several tables and chairs set up. In the back, there were four old men sitting around a table, playing a game. They glanced up when the door opened, but lost interest in the confused princess quickly. The game must have been intense, they kept talking in hushed tones and waving their arms generously.

Anna took another step, cringing when the floorboards squeaked beneath her feet. The man behind the bar looked up, throwing a curt nod in her direction. His big mustache covered up his mouth, hiding any expression he may have been wearing. Though, the longer she looked at him, the more Anna was convinced he just woke up one day and decided to stop having expressions. Again, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shadow passing up the stairs.

"Um, hello! Sorry, I'm not from around here and I was wondering...what's up there?" She blushed and bit her lip, ignoring the blank stare the man, most likely the owner, was giving her.

"The rooms for rent. Did you need one?" he replied, his voice droll, but not unpleasant. The princess nodded, digging around her satchel to find the money she'd stashed away with her, "Ten for the night, many thanks," he slid her a key and accepted the payment. "Yours will be the last on the left, let me know if you want anything," Anna collected her things, and the key, and hurried up the stairs. The old men glanced up from their game one more time to watch her go.

"Last on the left..." The floorboards creaked with every step she took. The dark hallway seemed to grow darker the closer she got to her room. The princess glanced back over her shoulder, suddenly feeling as though the hallway was growing longer and longer. Turning back, Anna bit her lip and reached out, sliding the key in the latch. She was shaking. Taking a deep breath, she turned the key and threw the door open. It slammed against the wall with a great bang, revealing the room to be completely empty. Sighing, Anna threw her satchel down and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed, it was smaller than she was used to, but comfortable enough for the price, and stared out the window. She'd need to collect Olaf before it got much later.

Anna took a moment to look around the room. Smaller than her bedroom back home, with a wooden floor and low ceiling. She wasn't terribly tall, but she imagined that Kristoff would probably have to duck to walk around comfortably. There was a dresser with a little mirror against the opposite wall. The mirror was foggy, with a few cracks here and there. She figured it wasn't at the top of the list as far as replacements went.

"You've arrived. I started to think you'd gotten lost," Anna jumped. The evening light from the window was blocked by a massive figure, seated in a chair she hadn't noticed before. What little light remained poured around him like a halo, making it all but impossible to look at him directly. His voice was unmistakable.

"Mikael, so it was you!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet. The tall man waved gestured for her to sit and folded his hands on his lap.

"Yes, I apologize for the secrecy. However, things are a trifle more complicated than I would like. As it stands, we must meet like this, away from the prying eyes of others," he explained. Anna was a bit unnerved by the way he sat perfectly still, not even showing the rise and fall of his shoulders with each breath. He was like a statue, one she couldn't focus on clearly.

Anna cleared her throat, "Really? Why, why is that?" she stuttered, glancing back to the door.

Mikael chuckled, "Anna, please, relax. I mean you no harm...I couldn't if I tried. For one, you're already far more powerful than I...and another..." Mikael reached out to touch the window sill. Anna watched his fingers simply pass through it, "I am barely here at all. For now, at least," he shrugged, then turned back to Anna wearing what she somehow knew was a smile.

"What are you?" fell from her lips before she could stop herself. Anna blushed, but Mikael laughed again.

"At the moment? I'm a phantom, barely a wisp of a thing. It's why only you can perceive me, and only just. I was trapped within the book, just as the nightmares were,"

Anna blinked, "What? Then...does that make you a nightmare? Why were you in the book too?"

"I am no nightmare. Hm..." he trailed off, rising to his feet. The room seemed to grow with him, despite being impossibly tall he only had to duck his head slightly to avoid the ceiling. Mikael turned to look out the window and sighed, "Very well, I will tell you everything. You deserve to know, after all, you are the heroine of House Arendelle. You are...my only hope. Our only hope," he chuckled and sat down once more.

"Very well," Mikael held his hands out, nodding, "Princess Anna of Arendelle...I am Mikael, the Archangel," The evening light behind him intensified, forcing Anna to look away. For a second, she caught a glimpse of his true form through the light, but it was gone by the time it too her to blink.

"The...archangel?"

"Highest of the angels of Heaven, I was sent to Earth to deal with a great catastrophe seven hundred years ago. I led, and worked in tandem with, the eleven heroes. Unfortunately, just as they gave up their souls, I too gave up everything to save the world," Mikael sighed and put his hand to his face. Anna glanced back at the door, then back to the angel.

"What catastrophe?"

"That...no, don't concern yourself over that, Your Royal Highness. In time, you'll learn from the memories of those who came before you. No, no, let's not speak of that...anything but that..." Mikael took a long, shuddering breath and shook his head, "No. Let us speak of the here and now. Not the then and done. What you must know now, is that, as destined long ago, you have opened the book," Mikael reached into his robe and retrieved the book in question. When did he get his hands on it? Where was he keeping it?

"The book...nothing happened when I opened it," Anna commented, recalling her disappointment. Mikael shook his head.

"Rest assured," he turned the pages, showing Anna the sigil of Sofia, with the motto of House Gandrud, _As High as Honor_. "It has begun,"

"What has?"

"The end days," Beneath his hood, Mikael's eyes began to glow, fierce golden lights in the darkness surrounding his face, "One by one, each of the nightmares will be appear, their coming foretold by the pages of the book. And one by one, you must defeat each of them. As they are defeated, the magic sealed within these pages will pour out. I will grow stronger, returning to my original form, but so too will the..." Mikael trailed off again. "No, not now. Listen to me, Your Royal Highness. You must arm yourself, and you must discover both the talents you have inherited, and those that lie sleeping within you. I can lead you...but you must never speak of me. No one can see me, no one can know me, save you. Should I be revealed, the dark powers mustering against you will attack with greater urgency. I stopped her before, if she..."

Anna tore her eyes away from Mikael, instead turning to stare at her hands. He still hadn't told her anything he hadn't before. He was an angel, that was new information. But, it was the same thing as before. Nightmares would come, and only she could stop them. Whatever else she'd released from the book. Anna glance up at Mikael. He was trembling. She could see it now. Whatever else she'd released, it was something so horrible it had an angel paralyzed with fear.

She?

"What do I need to do?" Anna peered up at the angel. He seemed to smile in the shadows.

"Each nightmare you defeat will release its soul, which will merge with yours. You will inherit the memories, the experiences, and, most importantly, the power of the heroes as your soul merges with theirs. As you've seen...it will be difficult to sort out what is yourself and what is your inheritance. You've shown that you were able to separate yourself from Sofia, but you've also seen that you have her power, have you not?"

"I can fly..." Anna mumbled, recalling how she'd fallen from the castle.

"You'll find your eyes are stronger, and that you know a bow better than you ever imagined. You must learn to harness Sofia's talent, but you must also awaken your own. You have power within you, Anna...power you've yet to even taste. That power, the power of House Arendelle, that is the power that will save the world from the coming storm,"

Storm?

"Okay...I need to...what exactly?"

"You'll need equipment. I chose this village for its distance from the capital, and for its blacksmith. The finest in all of Arendelle, he will be able to assist you. You'll need armor and a bow at least...perhaps a sword. You'll need training, as well. One of your knights, a young man named Sir Owen, is stationed in this village. He will teach you. Go to him," Mikael trailed off, staring expectantly. Anna stared back blankly. Eventually, it dawned on her.

"Wait, you mean now. As in, right now,"

"Is there a better time than now?"

Anna shrugged, gesturing toward the stars twinkling outside, "It's just...it's late,"

"Princess Anna...this is the fate of the world, we're discussing. Do you think evil has a bed time? That the nightmares will wait until daybreak to strike? They-" Mikael was cut off by the sound of a horn bellowing from the village. He glanced down at his lap, where the book had come to life. Anna watched as it flipped through countless pages, before settling on one.

On the page was a drawing of a great bear. Beneath it, were the words "_Here We Stand."_

"What is that?" Anna asked, a chill rushing down her spine. Even as she asked, she was already backing up to the door. Mikael glanced up at her, his eyes narrowed.

"Before you set foot in the village, the next nightmare loosed itself from these pages," Anna's eyes widened, "The Bear of House Royse has arrived,"

XxXxX

The sleepy villages was on full alert, people barring their doors and hurrying away from the streets. One lone figure stood brave in the face of the colossal beast stalking toward him, each step shaking the very ground beneath his feet. The monster rose up on its hind legs, roaring at the sky and spraying spittle on the foolish creature still before it.

"Hi, I'm Olaf! And...I'm guessing you're not a fan of warm hugs, huh?" Olaf commented, eying the beast with a whistle, "Well, you are an awfully big guy. You're almost as big as my little brother! Aw...you guys should meet! Oh, I know! I'll call Elsa and-"

"Olaf! Get away from him!"

"Hm? Oh hi, Anna! Look, I found a friend for Marsh-" Olaf's head went flying through the air, smashing through the window of one of the cottages. His chest bounced across the ground, rolling to a halt near that same cottage. His legs quickly hurried away from the next swat from the beast.

"Olaf! Okay, okay, you can do this Anna, just stay calm and focused. You can fly, right? Just gotta find a weapon, and then I can...wait! No, no, no! I have to help Olaf! Without his flurry, he's going to melt! Oh no," Anna slid to a halt not three yards from the monster.

The Bear of House Royse, that was what Mikael had called it. And what a bear it was, with coal-black fur, marred with countless, still bleeding cuts and gashed along its towering frame. It's muscles were enormous, some even showing through its numerous gaping wounds. One of its eyes was blank and empty, a long scar etched across the length of its face, while the other was wide and blood-red. It dropped back down on its front legs, causing the earth to tremble. Anna backed away, eyes darting to and fro searching for a weapon.

"Please...a bow, please let me find a bow somewhere..." The bear brought its paw back, ready to take a swing at her, when a newcomer jumped in its path, just barely managing to block the attack with his shield. The metal cracked and bent, but protected the young knight from what would have likely been a fatal blow.

"Princess Anna! What are you doing? Get away from this, hey!" The knight dove away from another swat, grabbing the princess' wrist and dragging her back from it, "Why are you even here? Does the queen kn-oh come on!" The knight unsheathed his sword and parried the bear's wicked attack, only to have his sword split in half.

"Are you Sir Owen?" Anna asked, remembering Mikael's advice. The knight, a young man likely around Kristoff's age, with dark hair and gray eyes, glanced back at her, running his hand through his hair.

"Where is my helmet? Um, yes, Your Royal Highness, that would be me. Have we met? Bloody hell, let's move!" Sir Owen grabbed Anna's hand once more and led her away from the bear. The monster turned on them, snarling and sputtering. It didn't charge, instead stomping toward them with even, heavy steps. The drool from its maw splattered on the ground like rain, its one good eye grew wider and fiercer. Each breath it took caused its wounds to spray new blood, which burned the ground where it fell.

The two had retreated to another shop. Owen banged on the door several times, turning and keeping himself between Anna and the bear. When the door opened, a grizzled man with a fierce beard and a shiny bald head peeked out.

"Owen? What's the racket?"

"A monster! I need a weapon, it broke my sword...and my shield," Sir Owen called, growing increasingly anxious as the bear grew closer still. Anna shoved her way passed the old man, finding his cottage, his shop actually, to be filled to the brim with weapons. Anna gasped and began digging through his wares. If she could just find...

Owen ducked inside, grabbing the first sword he saw, and made his way to the door. He paused, glancing back at Anna.

"Princess, why are you away from Arendelle? Wait, why were you charging at that thing, were you going to fight it? Your Royal Highness, I have to object! As a knight in service to the Queen, I cannot allow, woah! Put that down! You don't know how-" Anna shoved passed Owen, unloading three quick arrows. The first hit the bear's paw, knocking it out of a blow that would have likely ended Sir Owen. The next caught it in the shoulder, driving it onto its hind legs. The last struck it in the side, forcing it even further back.

"Nice shot, lady! Princess?" The older man, the blacksmith, shook his head, trying to get a better look at Anna.

Something inside her had changed. Suddenly, Anna could see everything. She could see the water dripping down the cottage where Olaf's body had hit. She could see the grass blowing in a gentle breeze. She caught sight of Sir Owen slipping around in front of her, just as she saw the bear's mouth twitch and its chest rumble as a roar erupted from its lips.

"That was incredible, I didn't know you could shoot, Princess. Erm, Your Royal Highness," Sir Owen commented, hefting his shield and readying his sword.

"I can't," Anna answered, honestly. Sir Owen glanced her away, just as the bear charged. Sir Owen rolled, ducking under the bear's strike, but that left a clear path straight for the princess. Without thinking, Anna bent her knees and shot into the air, landing safely on the roof of the blacksmith's shop. She unloaded two more shots in the bear's back, gasping when she realized where she was.

"He's not slowing down...the Hawk went down in one hit, what gives?" Anna shot from the roof and landed next to Sir Owen, knocking another arrow, this time taking a shot at the bear's throat. The arrow would have landed, but this time the bear smacked it aside. It glanced down at its paw and snarled, stomping toward them once again.

"You can't shoot? Right, and birds can't fly. Princess, I'm not sure what you call what you're doing, but keep it up! I'm going to see if I can take a stab at the bastard," Sir Owen rolled under another swat, taking a swing at the bear's legs. His blade bounced off, like hitting a metal plate. With a curse, he dodged another attack and took a stab at the monster's side. Like before, his blade couldn't even penetrate the monster's fur.

"What the Hell is this thing?" Sir Owen exclaimed, quickly ducking behind his shield when the monster took a swing at him. The blow smashed the shield, bending it over itself, and sent the young knight flying across the village square. He landed with a great thump, his sword tumbling away from him.

"Sir Owen!" Anna cried. Mikael had been more right than she imagined. It wasn't just that only she could kill the nightmares...she was the only one who could even hurt them! Anna turned.

The bear was pulled back, ready to bring its paw down on her. Sir Owen's breathing was uneven, but he was slowly climbing to his feet. The blacksmith had come out of his shop and had thrown a hammer through the air. It would hit the bear's paw, but only just, it wouldn't be enough to stop the attack. She had one arrow left, when she'd picked up the quiver she'd spilled most of them on the shop floor. Sir Owen's sword had landed just behind her.

"Princess!" Sir Owen shouted, finally reaching his knees. Anna pulled her last arrow back and shot. The hammer hit the bear's paw, but only just knocked the blow off course. Anna's last arrow struck the bear in his good eye, causing him to roar in a terrifying mixture of rage and pain. She tucked and rolled, barely avoiding the bear's paw. Her fingers brushed across the pommel of Sir Owen's sword. With a grunt, she tightened her grip on the blade and came up with it, lunging forward as hard as her legs could force her.

The blade shot through the bear's chest, all the way to the hilt. The monster gasped, held up by Anna's sudden surge of strength. Grinding her teeth, she gave the blade one more twist, and one final thrust. The bear fell backward with a strangled roar, shaking the earth when its massive form hit the ground. Anna stumbled toward the bear, her breaths coming in long, fierce gasps. Her eyes narrowed, she grabbed the pommel and gave the sword a harsh tug, pulling it free from the beast's black heart.

The bear was starting to glow. Already, Anna could hear voices rushing through her head, and could already see images flashing before her eyes. She pressed her hand, covered in the monster's black blood, hard against her forehead. She clenched her eyes shut; blood streamed down her face.

Images and words filled her thoughts. Her lungs felt full of sand and her eyelids felt heavier with each ragged breath she took. Anna groaned. Faintly, she heard the sword clatter to the ground. Further still she heard voices and footsteps rushing toward her. Vaguely, Anna felt her knees hit the ground. The world was spinning around her, quickly fading away. And then, everything stopped and the world went dark.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Warning

**Author's Note: This chapter ended up much longer than I originally thought it would. This is the start of the second story taking place here, one following Elsa. Trigger warnings for violence, sexual assault, and some colorful language.**

* * *

**Destined**

**Chapter 5 – A Warning**

Her room, the four walls that had held her a willing captive for thirteen years, was colder than she'd ever remembered. The Queen rose from her bare bed, shivering and watching her own breaths puff from her chilly lips. There were icicles forming along the window sill, spreading up the walls and reaching down from her ceiling. Reaching toward her like long, clutching fingers.

The Queen stumbled away from the window, bare feet slipping on the glassy floor. She cried out in a soundless scream when she fell, hands reaching out for anything to break her fall. A strong burst of wind erupted from her outstretched fingers, spraying relentlessly into the air, chilling her icy cell further. She hit the ground, scrambling clumsily to her hands and knees. Her eyes were wide; she was trembling. The Queen pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

The room was getting colder with each passing second.

_She returned from the mountain, weak and cold._

"No..." she shuddered, holding herself tighter. The icy fingers grew longer, frozen hands reaching out of the ceiling. The window had long since iced over, blocking the outside light. The room slowly sank into a thick, sluggish darkness. Long arms reached from the ceiling, hands spreading their malicious fingers wide, reaching for the trembling young woman below. The Queen looked up, gasping when she heard a knock.

_She said that you froze her heart._

"No...No I didn't mean to..." The Queen crawled to her feet, knees knocking, breaths coming in ragged gasps. She took a step forward.

Suddenly, she was eighteen years old again. She'd just heard the news. The ship, a storm sprang up from the sea. There were no survivors. Her parents, the King and Queen, they were gone. They were never coming home. She was alone, truly alone. Her eyes widened; there was a knock at the door. She took another step.

Suddenly, she was thirteen years old. Her gloves were frozen, her room was getting colder, so incredibly cold. She couldn't let them near her. She couldn't touch them, she couldn't even risk letting them hold her, no matter how much she wished to just collapse in their arms. She couldn't let them get hurt because of her. She couldn't control the power. She gasped; there was a knock at the door. She took another step.

Suddenly, she was eight years old. She remembered all too clearly how she'd struck her. It was an accident. All she wanted was to protect her. She just wanted to have fun, to be her hero. Instead, she'd very nearly taken her life. Instead, she'd done something unforgivable. Instead, she'd nearly lost her. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, crystallizing before they made it to her chin; someone was still knocking on the door. She reached for the handle.

_Your sister is dead...because of you!_

"NO!" The door knob refused to turn. The door was frozen shut. She was too small, too weak to pry it open. The Queen slid to the ground, pressing her forehead against the door.

She'd waited for much too long.

No one was knocking anymore.

XxXxX

A sharp scream cut through the silence in the queen's chilly bedroom. Frantically throwing away her covers, Elsa clutched her chest and struggled to settle her panicked breathing. Her frightened blue eyes darted back and forth. The room was colder than normal, but other than the remnants of a small flurry, there were no signs of ice or snow. Sunlight streamed in through the window, bright and warm, spilling over her legs. The queen began to relax, stifling another scream when someone knocked at the door. She practically flew across the floor, only stopping when her hand froze inches from the door handle. She was shaking.

"Yes?" She called in a smaller voice than she'd expected. She cracked the door open, revealing a kind face and a worried smile. She frowned, turning away and returning to her bed. Kristoff seemed to pick up on her hint, stepping inside once she'd sat back down.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty? Sorry," he closed his eyes and shook his head, "Elsa,"

Her tired blue eyes remained on her feet, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, K-Kristoff," she bit her lip when she stumbled over his name. He frowned, pushing the door shut after throwing a wary glance down the hall.

"Did you have another nightmare?" he kept his voice low.

Elsa's lips twitched, but otherwise her expression remained the same, "I'm fine. Thank you, Kristoff," she repeated, a touch of frustration flickering in her eyes.

"Shutting me out won't help, Elsa," Kristoff replied a bit too quickly. Elsa finally turned her head up and fixed him with an unblinking stare. The young man's mouth began to feel like cotton.

"I don't recall inviting you into my bed chambers," she pointed out after a moment of harsh silence. Kristoff's face began to heat up.

"Sorry. It sounds so much worse when you say it like that,"

"Does it? Maybe you should have considered that before inviting yourself in?" Elsa shot back. Kristoff sighed and turned around, clutching the door knob tightly and closing his eyes.

"I get it, I get it, I won't ask again," He mulled over bringing it up again, throwing one last glance back to the queen, "I heard you scream from down the hall," he explained. The corner of her mouth twitched and she began to wring her hands in her lap, "I just wanted to...let you know that I'm here if you want to talk about it," with that, he finally pulled the door open and slid out, leaving Elsa alone once more.

Elsa shivered, wrapping her arms tight around her middle. The room seemed so much colder.

XxXxX

Castle Arendelle had taken on a paler look over the last few days, always coated in a constant frigid mist, with the occasional icicle appearing along its high rises and archways. Even the candles that lit the great hall seemed meager compared to the chill in the air. Worse were the rooms that found themselves housing the queen, herself. It took only a single meeting with Queen Elsa to know that something wasn't right.

The queen was known to be a reserved, quiet person. Since the disappearance of Princess Anna, no one had so much as gotten a word from her. She slept late, though woke up often. Sometimes in tears, other times in a panic. Most frequently, she woke up calling the princess' name. No, the castle knew that something was wrong, and it all led back to Princess Anna's absence.

Wherever the princess had gone, she'd taken the joy and warmth of the castle with her.

XxXxX

Elsa stared at her breakfast, eyes unfocused and distant. For three days now, the kitchen staff had taken it upon themselves to prepare a wonderful breakfast banquet in the middle of the day, made up of all the Arendelle sisters' favorite foods. While it was a loving gesture, and the queen was always quick to remind herself to thank them properly, it only served to remind her of the young woman missing from the seat on her right.

"You should eat...if you want, of course, Your Majesty," Kristoff's voice trailed off, lost across the wide expanse of the dining hall. Elsa bit her lip and closed her eyes, bowing her head. She needed to eat, desperately she was sure, but couldn't bring herself to even lift a knife. Even the thought of eating caused her stomach to twist and churn, and her chest to grow heavy. Already, she felt her throat tensing as her arms slipped around her waist.

"Perhaps later. Thank you, Kristoff," she responded, her voice just above a whisper.

Kristoff paused, tapping his knife against his plate, "She would want you to eat. She said she'd be back before long, and she'll kill me if she knows I let you starve yourself," he joked with a crooked smile. It grew a bit more when he saw the corners of Elsa's mouth turn up slightly.

"She might..." Elsa murmured. She laughed softly, a real smile tugging at her lips, "Or she'll try to shove an entire cake in my mouth," she pointed out.

"That sounds like Anna," Kristoff agreed with a grin. He could just picture it now. Anna would kick down the door, bound across the table, chocolate cake in hand, demanding to know just what Elsa thought she was doing, being so foolish. Of course, knowing Anna, she might very well trip crossing the table and end up face first in the dessert herself. Kristoff couldn't help but laugh out loud at the thought. Elsa perked up, finally looking at him. He was pleased to see she was smiling.

"What is it?"

"I was just trying to picture that," Kristoff laughed. Elsa hid her mouth behind her hand, but was quickly starting to giggle as well.

"So was I...she would break down the door and take one look at my plate, gasp, and hurry across the room to scold me," Elsa's giggles softened, and her cheeks grew warmer, "She's always been like that...trying to look after me. And I'm supposed to be the older one,"

Kristoff nodded, looking down at his drink, "So I've noticed. She..." he looked up, happy to see that Elsa was finally starting to eat, "She never gives up on you," Kristoff took a drink, hoping what he was saying would sink in, "...You know better than anyone, she wouldn't leave without a good reason. And she'll do whatever it takes to make it back to you as quick as she can,"

Elsa paused, waiting to see if her appetite was going to stay. With a satisfied nod, she took another bite, "What about you? Anna is very taken with you, she wouldn't want to worry you either,"

He didn't mean to, but Kristoff couldn't help furrowing his brow with a wry smile, "I hadn't thought about that. You're right," How often did their conversations come back to Elsa? How often did he sit and listen to her gush about whatever queenly business her sister had attended to? Even now, he could remember every word Anna used to describe the dress Elsa wore two weeks ago that seemed too perfect to be real. Kristoff chuckled, "I guess that's just the kind of person she is,"

The two returned to eating in silence. Every so often, Elsa would look up at Kristoff and try to find the words to say she was sorry for how she'd acted earlier. Every time, he'd glance up at her and she'd lose her nerve. When she finally managed to say anything, what came out was, "Anna told me you were an orphan,"

"Mm, yeah. It's just always been me and Sven," After a moment, he shrugged, "Well, at first. I do have a family,"

Elsa smiled, "The love experts," that was how Anna had described them. Rowdy, odd, and incredibly heavy, but very sweet.

"That's right, love experts." Kristoff confirmed with a nod. He finished off the last of his drink and cleared his throat, "You've met them, actually,"

Elsa blinked and looked up, "I have?"

"Yeah, a long time ago. It was...not exactly the...best time..." Elsa narrowed her eyes when he trailed off. What could he possibly mean by that?

She opened her mouth to inquire further, but the sound of shouting coming from the hallway cut her off. She and Kristoff rose from their seats, the former slipping closer to his queen, clutching a knife tight in his hand. There was another scream, this one louder and frightened. And then there was silence. A kind of painful, eerie silence that went on forever, slowly sucking the sound out of the air around it. The quiet finally broke; a loud thump collided with the door.

"Elsa, get out, go out the back," Kristoff hissed, now right beside the queen. Elsa refused to move, instead standing up straight and narrowing her eyes. Her fists were clenched. There were snowflakes starting to flutter in the air. "Please, Elsa!" he urged her.

The door flew open, dropping the limp body of one of the guards to the floor. Blood pooled around him, trickling down from the larger splatter against the door. Standing over him was a tall figure, wrapped in a cloak with a dark hood covering its face. When it spoke, it was the voice of a man, harsh and dripping with a coy kind of arrogance.

"My apologies, Your Majesty!" he called, stepping into the dining room and brushing off his cloak, "Your guards wouldn't listen to reason, and I am not a patient man. Forgive me, I took it upon myself to correct their behavior," He stopped at the edge of the table, turning his gaze to the food spread across it. "Am I interrupting? Not to worry, this won't take long," his voice turned to a low growl, stretching out the last word as he slipped around the table, taking long, slow steps closer.

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" Elsa demanded, stepping in front of Kristoff. Her fists clenched until her knuckles turned white. She kept her expression stern, but otherwise free from the anger bubbling inside her. She'd known that guard since she was a little girl. He had a family of his own, a son a year older than Anna, one he'd often neglected in the name of his duty to the crown.

The intruder glanced over his shoulder, tracing her line of sight with his finger, stopping on the unmoving body of the fallen guard. He turned back to Elsa and she could just catch a glimpse of a grin beneath his hood, "The meaning, Majesty? I'd only requested a simple meeting. The gentleman there made it out to be something more than it needed to be. Well, he and the others, I can't say they put up much more of a fight though, to be honest with you. I must give credit where it is due though, the guards of Arendelle are certainly talented in the art of giving their life for the crown," Elsa's mouth fell open, and she took an involuntary step back, when the man threw his head back and laughed. Not a forced or maniacal sound, but one of sincere mirth.

He found their sacrifice humorous.

"The others?" slipped from her lips before she could shut them tight. The intruder sighed, laughing one last time and gesturing back toward the hall.

"Ten? Fifteen? Maybe more, I tend to lose count once the number reaches double digits. They were an enthusiastic lot, though not terribly handy with a blade. Imagine if I'd had an army with me? Oh..." the man gave an exaggerated shiver and resumed pacing closer to the queen. She could still see the grin painted across his face, "That would have been just embarrassing,"

"Who are you?" She repeated, punctuating each word with an unmistakable drop in the room's temperature. Ice was already beginning to creep across the floor from her heels.

"Elsa...please, get out..." Kristoff continued to plead with her, scooting closer, while keeping his knife hidden behind his back. He reached out, hoping to pull her behind him, but the queen jerked away the moment his fingers brushed her shoulder.

"They call me a lot of things where I'm from...I have to be honest, it's odd to be in a place where everyone doesn't know my name," The intruder sighed and shrugged, coming to a halt. A bead of sweat rolled down Elsa's cheek. Kristoff tensed, clutching his knife with such force his entire body was shaking. This close, they could finally see the intruder's face. He looked familiar, somehow.

"You won't soon forget though..." he whispered, leaning closer, face inches from the queen's. He snapped his teeth, wearing a grin that refused to reach his eyes, "I can guarantee that,"

With a sharp breath, Kristoff lunged at the man, bringing the knife down at his face. The stranger caught his wrists and brought the blade down into the table, taking several steps back. He laughed when the young man managed to pull his makeshift weapon free from the thick wood.

"Ah! The boy toy comes to life!" He sneered, dodging another slash. He slipped under Kristoff's next attack, throwing a vicious kick at the ice master's chest. Kristoff scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, only to realize he'd lost his hold on his only weapon.

"No, where is it?"

The intruder shook his head, "I get the feeling you've never tried to kill a man before," He threw his cloak back, revealing the sword on his side. Cocking his head, he unsheathed his weapon and pointed the tip right at Kristoff's chest. The blade, still dripping with blood, gleamed in the light, "I have," Without another word, he lunged at Kristoff, taking a few quick slashes at him. The first caught the young man in the arm, the other across his face.

"See, the trick is. Ah!" The intruder dodged a sudden swing from Kristoff, retaliating with a fierce knee to his side, "You have to actually," He dodged another attack, this time returning the punch with one of his own, catching Kristoff in the cheek and knocking him to the ground, "Hit your opponent," The intruder spun his sword around, pausing to watch the blood trickling down the blade. With a shrug, he grabbed it with both hands and brought it down.

Kristoff clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't breathe and he was sure his heart was about to explode in his chest. He felt a rush of wind and heard a shout, followed by a loud crash. Trembling, the ice master pushed himself up, staring at the man lying at the other side of the dining room. Tentatively, he turned his gaze back.

The queen kept her hand raised, slipping closer to her fallen friend, "Kristoff, are you alright? Here...get up," Elsa refused to take her eyes away from the stranger, even when she had to struggle to help Kristoff to his feet. The intruder shook his head and slid to his feet effortlessly, brushing away the frost clinging to his cloak.

"And there she is...the infamous Snow Queen. I traveled a long, long way to find you. I was hoping you wouldn't disappoint. Though, really? A little breeze? Come on, Snow Queen. I expected better!" Whatever had been holding him back before was gone. The stranger shot across the room, taking a wild swing at Elsa. Without thinking, Kristoff pulled Elsa into his arms, spinning around to avoid getting his face cut off.

Instead, the attack dug into his back, spraying a stream of blood across the floor. Shoving Elsa back, Kristoff spun around, grabbing the stranger's wrist when he took another swing. The intruder threw a quick barrage of punches at his side and kicked his leg out, dropping Kristoff to his knees. With a grunt, he slammed the pommel of his sword against Kristoff's head and threw him to the ground.

"That's better. No more distractions," The intruder stood up straight and cracked his neck. He twirled his sword as he advanced on Elsa, the queen quickly scrambling to her feet. Elsa's eyes were wide, frozen on Kristoff's unconscious form. The strike he'd blocked had cut deep, blood was quickly pooling around him. The stranger cocked his head, again tracing Elsa's stare, this time with his sword. "Oh, him? He should be fine, I mean, assuming I don't kill you. Hm, that would be pretty bad now that I think about it. No, no, he should be fine. Maybe, probably not. You know what? I'll just finish the job now-" The stranger jerked his head to the side, avoiding another icy blast.

"Stay away from him. Stay away from me. Leave, now!" Elsa hurled another blast at him, one he slipped around as if he'd seen it coming. Elsa gasped, taking a step back and throwing another blast. The stranger sliced it from the air with a flick of his sword. Starting to panic, Elsa fired one, two, three more bursts of icy wind at him. The intruder slipped around the first, batted aside the second, and walked straight through the third.

"Get away!" Elsa narrowed her eyes and thrust both hands out, summoning a whirlwind of cold air around her that lashed out like a tidal wave, shoving him back until he was hanging from the wall, sharp, thick icicles tearing into his cloak. Five finger-like icicles stretched from the mass, two aiming for his eyes, the other three for his throat. The icicles stretched, pressing against his flesh, digging deeper and deeper. The two at his eyes came to a stop so close, his eyelashes brushed against them when he blinked.

"Well?" he asked, "What are you waiting for?"

"Wh-what?" Elsa stammered, her focus wavering. She took a step back, fingers trembling, arms shaking.

"Do it," the intruder licked his lips, "Kill me,"

"I...I will...if you..."

The intruder laughed, "I don't think you will," He tilted his head, his grin twitching when the icicles dug into his throat. His sword slipped from his fingers to the ground and, beneath his hood, his eyes started to glow, "A shame really..." the temperature in the room began to change, rising quickly. Elsa's eyes widened. Her heart began to pound; she stretched her arms out, trying to keep the icy prison put together. The frost hanging on the walls was melting. The icicle prison was getting weaker.

"All that power, wasted on someone who won't use it," The air swirled around the intruder and his eyes shined even brighter, "Instead of someone like me," With a shout, the air around him exploded, reducing Elsa's attack to steam. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms, flexing his hands as flames shot from his fingertips.

Elsa's hands dropped to her sides. This couldn't be happening. She took another step back, gasping when her back hit the wall. This had to be another nightmare.

"You asked my name..." The intruder threw his hand to the side, spraying a sheet of flame across the table and setting it ablaze, "back home, they always called me a trouble maker." He snapped his fingers and a torrent of flame leaped through the air, igniting the banners hanging on the wall beside him, "They called me a punk and instigator." He clenched his fists, took a deep breath and slowly let it out. The air around him lit up, flames rising up from the ground beneath his feet. He turned to Elsa, eyes aglow, wearing the same lopsided grin he'd walked in with, "The Firestarter,"

"The...the Firestarter...you...how can you?" Elsa whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

The intruder, the Firestarter, sneered, advancing on her with a new found urgency. A renewed purpose, "Did you think you were the only one? The only one born special? No, no...you couldn't be more wrong. Now let's try this again, Snow Queen!" The Firestarter swung his hand at her, a gout of flame rocketing through the air.

Elsa dove to the side, breath caught in her throat when she saw a column of flame spiraling across the floor at her. She held her hands out, firing a sheet of ice toward the attack. It wasn't enough to stop it, but it bought her enough time to scramble to her feet and move out of the way. She screamed, finding herself face to face with the Firestarter, his lips just inches from hers.

"You're pathetic," he whispered, slamming his fist into her middle, throwing her across the dining hall with a burning blast. Elsa landed, eyes bulging and gasping for air. She looked up with a silent cry, watching the swirling flames gather in the Firestarter's hand. Before he could release it, a larger man collided with his side, knocking him off his feet.

'No!' Elsa couldn't find her voice. She couldn't even breathe when she watched Kristoff throw another punch, catching the Firestarter across the face. With a shout, he grabbed one of the fallen chairs and slammed it against the intruder's back. Kristoff tried to get in another attack, but the Firestarter rose to his feet, grabbing the ice master by his shirt.

"The queen's boyfriend? I really wish you hadn't done that!" With a roar, he shoved Kristoff backward, releasing a burning blast into his chest. The attack slammed Kristoff against the wall and to the ground, wracked with pain.

"No...Kristoff...stop..." Elsa crawled to her knees, doubling over before she could get to her feet. Her insides felt like they were on fire. She tore her eyes away from Kristoff to look down at her middle. His blast had torn a hole through her dress, leaving a horrible red mark across her stomach. She jumped; a pair of boots stepped into her line of sight. Slowly, she looked up. His foot came down on her face, driving her back to the ground.

Elsa tried to fight, but quickly found herself overpowered. The intruder dropped to his knees, straddling her waist and digging his fingers into her arms. He shoved her back against the floor and sneered, his eyes lighting up, smoke rising from beneath his hood.

"Does it hurt?" The Firestarter backhanded her when she took too long to answer and slammed her against the floor again. The almost playful tone never left his voice, "Does. It. Hurt?" he asked, lowering his face to hers. She jumped, with a strangled cry, as he dug his fingers into her hair, the others wrapping around her throat, pressing her face to the floor. His searing breath on her ear was enough to tear another panicked hiss from her.

"I've never been so disappointed...I'm not even trying, Snow Queen," he whispered, chuckling. His grip tightened, one of his knees dug into her hip. "Where is she?" A violent shudder shot through Elsa's body, she began to struggle against his hold, "Where's your sister? I heard she was quite the fighter,"

"Don't you touch her!" Elsa hissed, a harsh blast of cold air rising up from within her. Before the her gale could solidify, the air around the Firestarter lit up and a hot blast of wind hit her like a sunburn, draining away her surge of power.

"Oh, oh! Look at you...I can slice and cook your boyfriend, I can kick you until you bleed, but just one little mention of the princess and suddenly, you think you know how to fight." The Firestarter's grin finally faded. His eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back in a hideous snarl, "You don't. You're a fucking waste of potential. You, Queen Elsa," he spat her name in her face, "you're nothing," He grinned, but it seemed forced, any mirth lost in his dark scowl, "I could kill you, so easily. I could kill him, and I'd make you watch. You can bet on that. You'd watch, and you'd listen as I shoved my sword through his thick skull over, and over again. And you're lucky, you're so lucky!" He shoved his knee against her hip again. Elsa tried to raise her hand to attack, but he grabbed her wrist and smashed it against the ground. He tugged her by her hair, forcing her to look in his gleaming gold eyes.

"If she was here, I'd kill your little sister, too. It would be so, SO, easy. You couldn't stop me. You don't have the guts. You don't have the power. I'd light her up, up, up and her screams would be just wonderful. Have you watched someone burn to death? It's a beautiful sight,"

"Don't you dare," she growled, struggling to summon the power to do something, anything. Summon Marshmallow, call for her guards, shove an ice spear through his throat. Anything. The Firestarter let go of her wrist, holding his hand just in front of her face. Elsa moaned, blood running cold when his palm began to heat up; when she felt the flames lick her cheek.

"Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth!" He growled through clenched teeth. His lips twitched and his snarl changed to a lopsided grin, "And you? Think of all the things I could do to you. I could fuck your frigid little cunt, right here, and you couldn't do a fucking thing to stop me," His hand slid away from her face, down to her side. Elsa's eyes widened. His fingers burned through her dress, trailing their way across her ribs, closer and closer to her chest. The Firestarter licked his lips and huffed a breathless laugh, "I wonder, Snow Queen, would you melt? Or would you burn just like everyone else? Screaming until your throat shrivels up and whatever you were before, a queen, a peasant, or a disappointment, is gone and you're just another charred piece of meat,"

His eyes gleamed, his hand slipped from her hair to wipe away the blood and tears mingling along her cheeks, "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I'm such a nice guy, I won't even kill him," he jerked his head toward Kristoff, "I'm going to let you both live. And I want you to remember that. I let you live. Next time, I won't be so charitable," The Firestarter pressed his knee against her hip again. His thumb, alight with fire, brushed along the underside of her breast. With a grunt, he tore away from her, sliding to his feet.

"What...do you...want?" Elsa coughed, chest heaving with held back sobs. The Firestarter glanced back over his shoulder. Again, something about him seemed horribly familiar.

"This was just a warning, Your Majesty," he explained in a voice dripping with false innocence and concern, "In a fortnight, death will be at your doorstep. Arendelle will burn, and there's nothing you can do to stop it," He laughed, retrieving his sword and sheathing it. His gaze drifted back to Elsa, then passed her.

The Firestarter sauntered across the dining room, tapping his chin. With what little strength she had left, Elsa turned to look at the wall behind her. It was a painting of her family, the king, the queen, Anna and Elsa.

"Those were your parents, is that right? King Adgar and Queen Idun? A shame really, what happened to them...though," he threw a swift kick at Elsa's stomach, "Probably for the best, don't you agree? If they saw you now, I'm sure the shame would have killed them," Elsa forced her eyes open, despite her sobbing and managed to look up at the painting again.

"No...no please, don't...please..." she stammered, holding her hand out uselessly. The intruder took one look at her, then snapped his fingers, setting the painting ablaze.

"Truly a tragedy...but, don't worry, Snow Queen. Once this is all over, Arendelle won't ever need to suffer the loss of another ruler," He cocked his head when he reached the door, "In fact...there won't even be an Arendelle anymore," With one last, wild laugh, he strolled from the dining room, flames spreading from his footsteps, surging across the carpet and rushing along the paintings and banners that adorned the walls. The great doors slammed shut behind him before they too were engulfed in flames.

The world was swirling around her. Smoke was starting to fill the already searing hot air. Elsa coughed and struggled to her knees. Unable to walk, only just able to crawl, she made her way across the hall, to where Kristoff was sprawled across the floor. Elsa pushed herself to her knees and gently ran her fingers across the horrible, twisted burn carved into his chest.

"No...no, Kristoff, no...just...hang on..." Elsa took a deep breath and pressed her hands against the burn. She wasn't sure that it would help, she wasn't sure that she could do anything. But she couldn't just do nothing. A chill spread from her palms, across the scar, slipping into his skin. The smoke was growing thicker, the air was getting hotter. Behind her, something fell to the floor with a loud bang. She kept her eyes shut tight, kept her mind focused. If she lost control, any control at all...

"Kristoff just...hold on...hold on, I've got you...I've..." Elsa's vision swam. She heard another loud crack and turned her gaze up. Gasping one last time, she threw herself over Kristoff.


	6. Chapter 6 - Lady

**Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. I've written a lot of things, rape, torture, suicide, murder, etc. over the last fourteen years, but this was the first thing I've written that actually made me cry. I'm not entirely sure why, but it left an impact on me. So trigger warnings for torture and animal abuse.**

* * *

**Destined**

**Chapter 6 – Lady**

"Quiet! Quiet! She's trying to sleep! Oh...I'm sorry, Anna, I'll keep it nice and quiet, okay?" The snowman managed to shoo the intruders out of the small, dark room, pushing the door shut behind them and returning to the bed side. The young woman beneath the covers hadn't opened her eyes in hours, though occasionally a low moan escaped from her lips. The snowman climbed up on a stool, carefully wiping away the sweat from her forehead.

He offered her his bravest smile, "It's okay," he promised, laying a comforting hand on her arm, "I've got you, you'll be alright." The young woman's brow furrowed and another moan escaped her lips. She brought her hands to her face, pressing her palms against her eyes. Her moans grew louder. She began to shake.

XxXxX

_ Shivering, with only just enough ale in his belly to keep his temper in check, he yelled again,"You hear me boy? Answer me!" Still, no reply came. With a growl and a muttered curse, he trudged out into the court yard, making his way to the kennel. It was always the same with the idiot. When the worse of the winter reared its head, he snuck out to check on those damned dogs._

_ The master of the house threw the gate to the kennel open, hesitating when he was greeted by the sound of vicious barking and snarling. The hounds settled when he pulled his hood back to get a better look at the fat boy sitting with them. He'd snuck out extra portions of his dinner, just like his father had expected. His chubby cheeks still covered in crumbs, not yet licked clean by the hounds, the boy, ten years old, looked up and beamed._

_ He had his favorite, a puppy not even a month old, resting in his lap. His father never figured out his obsession with the runt. Smaller than her brothers and sisters, she wouldn't be good for much when she grew up. Unable to fight, unfit to breed, in that sense maybe he saw her as a kindred spirit. She whimpered when the master came closer, but the boy shushed her and scratched her little ears. He gave her a quick kiss on the head, sending her back to her mother, and climbed to his feet._

_ The boy, bigger and taller than any other boy his age, was a fat thing. His beady little eyes were buried in his chubby cheeks, always rosy from his stupid smiles. His father threw a glare at the hounds and led him out of the kennel. The moment the gate was shut, he took a mighty swing at the boy's head, clubbing him with all his strength. The fat boy stumbled, but kept on following his father._

_ "How many times have I told you to leave the damned dogs be? And you forgot your cloak!" The bald man barked. The boy shrugged, throwing one last goodnight to the hounds._

_ "I wasn't cold," he explained._

XxXxX

It took the guards over an hour to break down the door to the dining hall. When, at last, they managed to get to their queen, they found the room a far cry from the smoke and fire expected. The walls were thick with ice, still sparking as the light from the evening sun streamed in through a well frozen window. Snowflakes hung in the air, unmoving, while the banners and paintings that once adorned the walls sat frozen where they'd fallen, most of them burnt beyond recognition. In the back of the room, was the most startling sight.

A dome of ice, still pristine and perfect despite the icy chunks of wood and debris surrounding it. Crafted quickly, judging by the swirling pattern that spiraled from the center and spread to the floor, it was nonetheless crystal clear, giving them a perfect look in at the two figures held safely inside. One, their beloved queen, the other, her sister's friend. The young man's eyes were cracked open, staring up at the dome. They widened slightly when the guards came into sight. With an inaudible grunt of pain, he shifted his weight and gave the unconscious queen a shake.

His lips moved, silently calling her name, 'Elsa...wake up,' he mouthed. With another grimace of discomfort, he shook the queen once more. This time, she began to stir. Slowly, she lifted her head, first looking to Kristoff, then to the dome surrounding them. When she caught sight of her guards, she gasped and lifted her hand, palm outward. Her fingers were trembling, her arm was shaking. She swallowed and narrowed her eyes, releasing a surge of energy through the air.

The dome began to dissolve away, and the guards' panicked voices became clearer and clearer. "...sa...Queen Elsa! Your Majesty! Master Bjorgman!" One cried, held back by his comrade until the dome was gone. The queen opened her mouth to speak. Instead, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed against Kristoff once again. The first to arrive, an older man with a bald head and long whiskers on his chops, lifted the queen away from the ice master, muttering a curse under his breath when he saw the scar on the younger man's chest.

"What happened to you, Master Bjorgman? Hm? Master Bjorgman?" He frowned and gestured for his partner to move the unconscious blond. Reports were still coming in across the castle. Anyone who knew for sure what occurred was likely dead. Everyone, that is, save for the queen and her friend.

XxXxX

_ "Five years! Five bloody years, when's the sun gonna come out again?" A young soldier, a recruit in service to House Royse, complained. It had been the longest winter in recent memory. A young man at the end of the table grunted, glancing up, then ordering a fourth portion of dinner. The first recruit laughed, elbowing one of his comrades, "Check him out! He's gonna eat the entire place under at this rate,"_

_ "You hear what I heard about him?" Another recruit jerked his thumb toward the Bear. The others shook their heads, "I heard the Bear is a Royse...Emil Royse!"_

_ "No way! That would make him practically royalty! Geez...what do you think he did to get stuck here?" Another recruit laughed. She glanced at the Bear, the color draining from her face when she caught sight of his beady eyes. The first recruit shook his head._

_ "No one knows for sure, but I heard this rumor," the recruit glanced back at the Bear, then lowered his voice more, "I hear, his brother, Jorgan? Yeah, he's a bit of a drinker, so Jorgan gets drunk and gets in this big fight. Really, really embarrassing for Lord Royse. But, I heard Emil took the fall. They blamed him for the fight, so Jorgan got off free, and Emil got shipped off into the army. Lost his birthright and everything. They won't even call him a Royse anymore," The recruits jumped when the young man, the Bear, suddenly rose to his feet._

_ Standing upright, he was a terrifying sight to behold. Taller than anyone else in their squadron, and twice as wide. His arms, barely covered by his cloak, were muscle on top of muscle buried in thick dark hair, with hands big enough to crush a normal man's head. His fat cheeks were buried beneath a bushy beard. Despite his big belly and bigger presence, his tiny eyes weren't unkind and he always seemed to wear a smile. He politely excused himself, piling his arms with his food and making his way to the door. The tavern, which had fallen silent when he rose, shook with each step he took. With a grunt, he bent over and forced his way through a door a bit too small for him._

_ Outside, the storm had become horrific. The little village was already buried in snow, but the Bear didn't seem to care. Instead, humming an off-key tune, he made his way to the stables. Calling a big, cheerful hello to the horses, he laughed hearing a bark and an excited whimper. His grin grew brighter still when he found a stable occupied by a great black dog. Her tail wagging like a propeller, she jumped at the gate, greeting him with more excited barking, nipping and licking his hands before he'd even sat down._

_ The Bear dropped himself into the hay with a great thump, laughing when the dog, a black war hound, attacked him, licking his cheeks and nuzzling her head against his._

_ "You missed me, Lady?" he asked, grinning brighter when she whimpered in return. With a chuckle, he set down the food he'd carried, petting the war hound, a runt he'd loved from the day she was born six years ago, as she feasted eagerly on the roast boar and hard bread he'd snatched away for her. Once she'd eaten her fill, he stretched his legs out and slid off his cloak, wrapping it around the little war hound once she was comfortably resting in his lap. They sat like that, his massive hand scratching her back while she grumbled happily, drifting off into a warm sleep._

XxXxX

Her eyes pried open, head spinning, heart pounding. She was coated in sweat, freezing in her chilly bed. The hay wasn't enough to ward off the winter's fierce air. She felt around, trying desperately to find her only friend, her one companion. A strangled cry found its way to her lips and the room began to focus around her. She tried to sit up, but she felt someone laying her back. She then heard a gasp and a swatting sound, followed by someone hissing in pain.

"What was that for? She's going to hurt herself!" A voice she wasn't familiar with complained. Once again, she felt someone touch her. His hands were hot; she was burning up. Another cry creaked from her throat and she batted away the hands. She was freezing, but it was too hot. There was hay everywhere. She pressed her hands against her eyes and screamed, a horrible screeching pain shooting through her mind.

"Anna! Anna, relax! Hey, hey, it's okay! It's me, Olaf! Here," Something white and cold appeared beside her, brushing her hair away from her face. She tried pulling her hands away, but her head immediately began to swim, her heart began to blast in her chest. She ground her teeth, forcing back another scream when her head began to split down the middle, "No! No screaming, it's okay! You're fine...please, just relax. I've got you! You're alright! Okay? Okay!" Something sharp touched her hand, which shot out into something freezing cold.

"Oh! Well, um...if that helps!" he laughed. Her eyes widened, trembling green orbs finally focusing on his smiling face. She pulled her hand back, revealing a fist shaped hole in his cheek. Her lips quivered; her voice felt so far away.

"Ol...Olaf..." she murmured.

He nodded, pulling her blankets up to her chin, "Uh huh, that's me." She rolled over onto her back, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. The room was starting to spin and the light was starting to fade. Something was missing. Someone was missing. Her eyes grew wider, even as her eyelids grew heavier. She was crying. Everything felt wrong.

"I can't...I can't no...where is she? Where? I need her..." she murmured. It felt like there was a weight in her chest. The swirling darkness was closing in on her. Her hands rose up to her face, digging into her hair. Her last scream cut off abruptly as her eyes slid shut and the weight in her chest collapsed on her.

XxXxX

"Did you have another nightmare?"

Elsa bit her lip, turning away to look out her window. She felt foolish, but was relieved to see the evening sun setting just outside. She took a shaking breath and closed her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded, "I did..." she admitted.

Kristoff frowned, "I'm sorry...do you want to talk about it?" he asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

"...I was in this room," Kristoff perked up. He hadn't expected that response, "Everything was frozen, and getting colder. And I couldn't stop it. Everything I tried only made it worse,"

"I looked out the window, and I saw Anna. She was playing in the garden, like she did when we were kids. Then...the garden was on fire. And the fire was spreading. I tried to get her attention, but she never looked up at my window. I tried to escape, but my window was frozen. Soon...the fire had covered everything. Everything, but my room," she finished and hugged herself tight, wincing as she pressed on the bandages around her waist.

"That sounds awful," Kristoff commented.

Elsa nodded, "It was," she unfolded her hands, staring at her palms, "All of this power...I couldn't do anything. I..." she shook her head and closed her eyes, "I don't know what happened. I don't know why I...froze..." The Firestarter was powerful, but that didn't excuse her carelessness. Had she been thinking clearly, she could have fought back. If she hadn't been so tired. When was the last time she slept through the night? Or if she hadn't been so hungry. Even now her stomach still hurt, and not just from the fight. She could have come up with something, anything to protect herself and Kristoff.

She glanced over at her friend, who had remained silent, "Kristoff?"

"Hm?"

"I..." Elsa looked up when a knock came at the door. Instinctively, her hand shot out and the lock froze in place. She heard one of the figures outside curse. Kai, the royal butler, and Hansan Haile, captain of the knights of Arendelle, were waiting to speak with her. Everyone wanted answers, answers she wasn't ready to give. She tried before, just to freeze before she could begin to explain what had happened. How could she confess her failure to them, even if she'd known them her entire life? How could she admit to being helpless, to being powerless in spite of her magic? How could she bring herself to admit just how much she'd fallen apart since...

"We need to find Anna," she said aloud. Kristoff glanced up at her. She was clutching the bed sheets in her fists, breathing in quick, panicked gasps. Her eyes were narrowed, her nose crinkled. She turned to Kristoff, eyes practically alight with determination, "You heard him, he wants to kill her! We have to find her before he does!"

"I don't think he's going to go looking for her," Kristoff replied quickly, interrupting the queen's budding panic. He licked his lips, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before turning to meet her gaze. "He said that to get under your skin. He wanted to scare you, to see you lose your cool. You're the one he's after, not me, not Anna." While he believed it, he couldn't forget his promise to Anna. He couldn't let Elsa go looking for her, he couldn't let her get involved with whatever mess the princess was sorting out. Anna would never forgive him if she...

Kristoff frowned, glancing up at the queen. He'd already let Elsa get hurt, he couldn't break another promise to Anna.

Elsa ran her hand through her hair, pushing her bangs away from her eyes, "Why? I don't even know who he is!" Her hand slid down to her lap, her eyes narrowed, "Or what he is...but he knew me, he knew about my powers."

What was it he said? You aren't the only one born special? She wasn't the only one...there were more. He was one of the others, but just how many others were there? She needed someone who knew about her powers, and powers like hers. She suddenly recalled her father digging through a bookcase. When he found the book he was looking for, an old map fell on the ground.

"The Valley of the Living Rock..." she murmured.

Kristoff perked up, "You remember that place?"

"How could I forget? That was where we took Anna after...after I hurt her. That old troll, he knew about my powers, what they could do, even how to counteract them. What if..." Elsa blinked, slowly turning to Kristoff. "You know about that place?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

You've met them before, he'd told her. Elsa gasped, sliding to the edge of the bed to get a closer look at Kristoff. The boy, that boy who followed them to the valley. It was...

"It was you!" Her mouth still hung open in shock. How had she not realized it before. The queen hid her mouth behind her hands, eyes still wide as she recalled that night. "You were the boy there! The one watching that means...your family. They're...the trolls. You were raised by the trolls?"

"Yes and I think you're right. If we go to the valley, I'm sure Grand Pabbie would know something about this. It's just," They both looked up when another knock came at the door. Captain Haile was still cursing on the other side, while Kai struggled to keep the knight from going through with his plan to 'tear the blood door down with my bare hands.'

Elsa nodded, cringing as she slid her legs over the edge of the bed. She waved away Kristoff's help, rising to her feet and taking a long, deep breath. She was still uneasy, but taking slower steps she managed to disguise her fatigue. She smoothed out her hair and dress, taking another deep breath. With a flick of her wrist, the ice on the door melted. Satisfied, for the most part, she took a seat on the edge of her bed and folded her hands on her lap, hoping her stomach wouldn't growl at the wrong moment.

"Please, go back to your room, Kristoff. Collect what you'll need, then ready Sven and your sled. I'll join you before long and we'll be on our way,"

"Are you sure about this, Elsa?" Kristoff asked, already making his way to the door. He was quickly, though politely, pushed to the side when Captain Haile, Kai, and a number of Elsa's advisers entered the room. Through the crowd, he did manage to catch a glimpse of the queen's nod. Kristoff returned the gesture and excused himself, disappearing down the hall. He made it about halfway, before an idea struck him and he doubled-back, making his way to the kitchen.

XxXxX

_ He awoke in chains, shackled to the mighty twin pillars built in the center of the fort at Green Hill. They took turns beating him with clubs and hammers. Where had the others gone? Where was Lord Royse amassing his forces? When were they going to strike? What was their plan? When the hammers and clubs failed, they turned to whipping him. Even now, hours later, the countless lacerations on his back still bled fresh._

_ He didn't say, of course. He wouldn't do that to his brothers and sisters. He wouldn't do that to the man who was once his father. Even when they tore his fingernails out, one by one, he kept his mouth shut tight. He hadn't been able to stop himself from screaming when the blue-eyed man, the leader of the invaders, shoved a red hot fire poker in his eye. They were sure he would break then, but when the pain faded, like all pain did, his gaze fell to the ground. The blue-eyed man hadn't liked that._

_ Minutes turned to hours, but still the Bear refused to give them anything. They would tire before he surrendered. He was the unbreakable Bear of House Royse. That was all he had left._

_ "Captain, found something you might wanna see," One of the invaders called. The blue-eyed man looked up, his scowl twisting to a look of confusion. The Bear tilted his head up and began to tremble. His blood ran cold and words tumbled from his busted lips before he could stop them._

_ "No, please...don't," he rumbled, his throat sore and dry. The blue-eyed man looked up, shocked to hear anything at all from the Bear. His gaze fell back on the whimpering war hound, a tiny thing, her head barely coming to his hip if she stood up right. She wasn't a fighter, that was for sure. She whimpered and cried, struggling against the chain around her neck. The moment she saw the Bear, her cries grew more desperate._

_ "She's yours is she? Must have come looking for you," The blue-eyed man kicked her to the ground, a terrified yelp escaping her lips. The man with the chain held her down, tightening his hold around her neck. The blue-eyed man sneered, "You best talk then,"_

_ "Please, no! Don't!" He clenched his fists and tugged at his chains. They held fast. One of the other invaders struck him with his flail. His vision swam, but his eye never left his girl. He screamed when the blue-eyed man's hammer came down on her hind legs, filling the air with the sickening snap of her brittle bones. Her horrible, pained cries filled his ears and filled his head. His fists clenched, his heart raced. The blue-eyed man said something else, but he couldn't hear it. All he could hear was her cries, all he could see was her face, looking up at him, begging him to save her._

_ "I'm thinking they didn't tell the fat ass anything,"_

_ "That's a shame," the blue-eyed man shrugged, hefting his hammer again. The Bear shook his head, but no words would come. The hammer fell one more time, silencing Lady's cries. His good eye-widened and the world around him went silent._

_ Lady's broken body was all he could see. The silence was all he could hear._

_ They had taken the one thing he had left._

_ Everything was turning red. The silence inside of him was becoming a horrible, terrible thing. His throat tightened and his teeth gnashed. His fists clenched and the stone pillars themselves began to tremble. The blue-eyed man looked up, wiping the blood from his hammer._

_ "Well?" The Bear's wide-eye bulged and a mighty roar erupted from his lips. The stone beneath his feet trembled as he dug them into the ground. The chains rattled, the pillars shook. With another roar, he wrenched his arms down. The stone buckled and smashed; the pillars collapsed around him._

_ The blue-eyed man took a step back, calling out an order. Another roar drowned it out; the Bear lunged at him, his massive hand shoving the evil man to the ground. Spit and blood sprayed from his lips and his fist came down. Again. Again. And again, his colossal fist smashed against the blue-eyed man's face, until the stone and his knuckles were both painted red._

_ An arrow flew from above, embedding itself in his shoulder. The Bear roared and turned on the man with the chain, grabbing his little neck in his hand. With a snarl, he grabbed him by the ankle and brought his back down on his knee with all his strength. His back snapped like a stick beneath a carriage wheel._

_ Already, the rest of the invaders were pouring into the court yard. The Bear's gaze fell on his girl, fell on his broken Lady. Her beautiful black fur marred with dirt and blood. Her legs twisted all the wrong way. Her face...her beautiful face..._

_ Another arrow embedded itself in his side. He turned to face the rest of the five hundred invaders. The ground shook, the stone trembled when he roared again. They had broken the Bear of House Royse. They had taken the one thing he had left._

XxXxX

She woke screaming, eyes wide and tears streaming down her face. The man who had been there before tried to touch her and she swung her fist at him. She heard him crash into something far away and fell back into the sheet, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and screaming again.

"ELSA!" The name sprang from her lips. She had to find her. She had to know where she was. She had to know she was safe. She needed her more than anything. She was all she had left, she was all she had. Her lady, her girl. Her queen, her sister. The cheerful cold man came to her side again, but she struck him like the first man and buried her face under her pillow.

Her sobs intensified, her screams hurt her already sore throat. Her girl, her lady. They took her away, they took her away and she'd never see her again. She needed her sister. She needed to feel her cool touch, see her sparkling eyes, and hear her twinkling voice. The darkness was already closing in on her again, but she couldn't bear to go back.

She had to find her, "Elsa..." she sobbed, too tired to find the strength to scream. She could hear the cheerful snowman's comforting voice and felt his hand on her shoulder. She rolled over, grabbing his hand and kissing it, holding it tight in her grasp. So tight, she felt the wood cracking.

"Elsa..." she moaned. She was sinking. Her lungs were filled with sand and pulling her into the darkness again. She couldn't lose her. She couldn't lose the one thing she had left. She couldn't lose her lady.

XxXxX

_In that place, the winter was never-ending. He shuddered and tightened his hold on the little bundle wrapped up in his cloak, buried in his arms. He'd face an eight year winter, but this. For the first time, he longed for the light of summer. The snow fell without end, ice filled the air and tore at their bodies. The eleven of them had been traveling for a week now. _

_ He could tell the Hawk was starting to wear down, though the girl was much too arrogant to ever admit it. Even the others, who had seen more than one winter, were slowing down. He felt worst though, for the little girl curled up in his arms. He sat close to the fire with her, keeping her buried in his warm arms. It was all he could do to protect her from the blizzard, which had grown worse since their last battle._

_ The snow golems had finally fallen. Forty of the monstrous things, each bigger and meaner than the last. After them, they were ambushed by a pack of wendigos, horrible wisps born from the wickedness at the heart of the winter wasteland. They fought for hours, just to find themselves freezing around the meager fire they'd managed to scrounge together. The scruffy-haired man, the one they'd made their leader, had left to search for more wood._

_ That was an hour ago. The others were getting restless._

_ The Bear grumbled, snapping out of his thoughts when he felt a little hand tug at his beard. He looked down at the girl and smiled, pulling his cloak tighter around her._

_ "Something wrong?" he grunted._

_ She shook her head, "No...just tired. But, I can't sleep," she explained. She must have felt him trembling because she started to sit up, gasping when she slid out of his cloak, "Don't you need your cloak?"_

_ She always worried about everyone else, he thought with a smile. He shook his head, "I'm not cold,"_

_ The girl wasn't convinced, but slid back into her cocoon. After a moment of hesitation, she tugged on his beard again, "Can you tell me about Lady, again?"_

_ The Bear swallowed, closing his eyes as a shudder ran through his colossal frame. He nodded, a heartfelt, watery smile thankfully hidden beneath his big bushy beard, "Alright,"_

XxXxX

The sled came to a halt, just at the edge of the valley. Kristoff turned to his companion, who was sleeping sound, for the most part, beside him. He smiled, considering if he should give her a bit longer. The trip had been mostly quiet, Elsa eating the food Kristoff had brought for her before falling asleep. Time was working against them, but still he and Sven had taken their time to let the weary queen rest.

Odds were, it would be the last chance she'd get. With a sigh, he gave her a gentle shake, "Elsa, we're here,"

Elsa stirred, rubbing her eyes and looking around in a sleepy daze. All drowsiness left her when she recognized their surroundings. She hopped from the sled and wandered deeper into the valley, to the clearing where countless little boulders were lying in wait. Kristoff joined her, taking a bite from a carrot before giving the rest to Sven.

"Everyone! I'm home...and I, um, have another guest," he called. He and Elsa traded a look as the rocks came to life and the clearing was filled with numerous creatures. Pudgy, heavy little creatures with big eyes and bigger hearts.

"Kristoff! You're back! And who is...oh..." Bulda, the troll who had raised Kristoff trailed off when she recognized Elsa.

Another troll whispered in the back, "It's the queen!"


End file.
